With my Life
by Slayer End
Summary: AU: Naruto was 5 years old when he was attacked and nearly killed. To try to repent for his sins and save his vessel's life, Kyuubi foolishly curses Naruto as he sends him to his home. He is now the first Air Bender alive for over 100 years... NaruToph
1. 0: Prologue

**(Naruto POV)**

"_You know, it's a little funny now that I think about it. What happened there was all an accident. I'm not as surprised that such a thing happened, really. No, not any more. I remember what happened with such clarity. I was five years old when I went walking to Old Man Hokage's office. He was one of the only people in the village who were nice to me and I respected him. There was another person, I called him ero-sennin. He was a real perv. _

"_Those two only got the opportunity to teach me five techniques. The Kagebunshin no jutsu, which created solid clones that were excellent for fighting and information purposes. _

"_The Kawarime no jutsu was another. It allowed me to replace myself with any given object at any given time. _

"_The Henge no jutsu, using this I could make myself look like any one and anything I wanted too. _

"_The Rasengan, it was one of the Yondaime Hokage's incomplete, yet famous, Futon jutsu. _

"_Finally, I had the Bunshin Daibakuha. It was to make my Kagebunshin explode… of necessary… _

"_I had already known about the fur ball, Kyuubi. I sort of… figured it out after I met him. In actuality, the Kyuubi was simply chasing after the scent of some psychopath that slaughtered his kits… something about snakes…? I'll never know. _

"_As I was saying, I was waling towards the Hokage's office when I was grabbed from behind. I didn't see my attacker. How could I? He had blind folded me. _

"_I heard his hateful whispers, how he wanted to 'Finish what the Yondaime started' and 'slay the terrible demon', I didn't really care. I had heard it all before, anyway. But, what I failed to realize that day was, this man had successfully put my life in danger. He had made me vulnerable and there was a strong chance that I would die. _

"_He removed the blindfold and revealed to me a cave. It was dark, only a lantern acted as my light. The man grinned sadistically. When I followed his eyes, I completely understood why. The entire cave was filled with villagers who hated my very state of being. They were each going to have a turn at trying to kill and torture me. The moment I felt that first kunai enter my flesh, I screamed. It was on this day that I learned of true pain, pain unlike any other. _

"_Kyuubi was constantly healing my injuries. But, even he knew that this wouldn't save me. He pondered even as a massive portion of chakra left him. Then he thought of something that would change my life forever. What he did was the accident, not the beating I received that day…_

"_The only warning I had was a soft tingle in my eyes, skin, and tongue. I barely felt it over the pain._

"_Then the man who started the entire torture session walked up to me… when everyone had their fun… and he strangled me with his bare hands. _

"_When his bare hands met my bare neck… oh Kami… He twitched a few times before he screamed and collapsed to the floor dead. I looked up and several people looked into my eyes… Before I knew it… They were also dead. _

"_The tingling sensation spread to my stomach and… I don't really know what happened next. Kyuubi's energy covered me and took me to a safer location. I woke up in those dreaded sewers and walked down the hallway. There I saw him. Kyuubi in all his former glory… The poor Kitsune was panting and on the ground. He would die, I knew that. But, I didn't want it. He was one of my only other real friends. _

"_Then he spoke…_

(_Flashback_)

"**Kit… I can't take this anymore. My chakra has left me. But, I was able to give you some gifts before I left this world…"** he spoke. Even as a whisper, his voice echoed and thundered around the room.

"W-What?" I asked.

"**First: Nobody can ever glare at you. If they ever see your eyes, they will witness all of your pain and suffering then die. **

"**Second: Nobody can ever hit you. If your bare skin touches a person, the effects will be the same as previously and they will most likely die. **

"**Third: They can no longer poison you. Your body is immune to all poisons and you can eat literally anything. **

"**Fourth: All you need is a single day, and you will heal. Though your body will age…**

"**Fifth: They can no longer hurt you, for you no have a fresh start…"**

"What do you mean 'Fresh start'?" I had asked.

But it was too late. Kyuubi had died.

(_End Flashback_)

"_It was true. They couldn't glare at me. But, I could never look at them either. I had to travel blind or my chakra would not only start to leave me at a breakneck pace, but, I could involuntarily kill somebody close to me. I always kept a Hitai-ate hidden on me. I had snatched it off Old Man Hokage's desk just a month earlier. Now it would serve the purpose of being a blind fold. _

"_The second was also true. They couldn't touch their bare skin to mine. If they did, the results would be the same. So, I wore a lot of clothes. _

"_I couldn't be poisoned and I could eat anything. In exchange…My sense of taste had been dulled extremely. Only the strongest flavors affected me._

"_My healing was amazing. I could be slaughtered and killed by a mob one day, then wake up the next day around the same time… fully healed and alive. Only age could kill me. _

"_Finally, __they__ could no longer hurt me because I was in a new, different world entirely. Kyuubi's home world… _

**(End Naruto POV)**

End Prologue

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	2. I: My Name is Naruto

Chapter 1:

My name is Naruto:

The short figure looked around before pausing in thought. This figure couldn't have been much older than six. But, it was hard to tell.

The young boy wore nothing but black clothing. His head of spiky, blond hair was covered by a large hood connected to a black cloak that dragged on the ground, erasing his foot prints. His eyes were covered by a headband and his mouth and face were covered with a unique mask. It resembled Kakashi's mask in both appearance and texture. His cheeks were further covered by this mask, three white lines on each cheek. He wore black gloves with metal plates and wore a black, long-sleeved shirt. He had black pants and there was a black pouch tied to his right thigh. His long pants further dragged on the ground. His boots had metal plating on the toes and heels.

The boy jumped from one tree to another at an incredible pace and stilled.

It was the middle of the night and nobody could see him in the darkness. There was a pitter-patter of rain all around him; a crescent moon glowed through the light grey clouds.

The figure brought up the black head band to his forehead and looked around with glowing red eyes before covering them again.

"Seventy soldiers, Fire Nation. Apparently they're preparing for an invasion in a few days time. Those villagers won't stand a chance. Time for an intervention," spoke the currently blind figure.

The dark figure leapt from the tree branch he had been perched upon and fell into the bushes. All traces of him were gone.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Are we prepared for the invasion?" asked the commander to the soldier.

"Yes, sir. But…"

"'But', what," asked the commander coldly.

"The rumors of 'The Black Wind' are starting to get to the other soldiers. They are beginning to doubt if this attack is wise."

"This 'Black Wind' character is just a myth! He doesn't exist! Get that through your thick skull, soldier!"

"Y-Yes sir!" saluted the soldier before leaving.

"Hmph, 'Black Wind'… These fools actually believe in an urban legend like that?" asked the commander to himself as he sat down and leaned back in his chair.

"Fools…" he murmured to himself as he took a sit of water.

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The dark figure ran around the walls of the fortification and smirked beneath his mask when he saw a pair of guards at the gate. He brought his hands into a sign and a pair of small puffs of white smoke appeared. There stood two copies of him. The copies removed their glove and vanished as the wind picked up.

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"Halt, who goes there?" spoke one of the guards as he took a Fire Bending stance.

A single black clad figure walked along.

"I said, 'Halt'!" spoke the guard again.

The other guard assumed a similar Fire Bending stance.

"I don't like this…" the second one said.

Their white skull masks were a bizarre contrast to the black night. Wind swirled around them just as a pair of bare hands made contact with their skin. They collapsed to the ground, dead.

The two figures replaced the gloves and used a different hand sign.

A second later, two small white clouds of smoke enveloped the clones and there stood two replicas of the deceased soldiers.

The original took the two figures and dragged them into the forest before hiding them in a bush.

The wind blew and the black figure had already walked past the imposters and into the enemy base.

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The commander suddenly woke up from his nap as somebody barged into the room.

"Sir, all the soldiers are acting strangely. I think something has happened!" spoke the soldier in an urgent tone.

"So? They're probably just jittery about tomorrow's invasion! Go to bed, soldier!" said the commander.

"Yes, sir."

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The dark figure was currently walking upside down and over a soldier. They were in a miniature iron castle. It was apparently the main part of the encampment.

The figure smirked as he fell to the floor and stared into the Fire Nation soldier's eyes. The soldier collapsed having died. The figure seemed to wobble for a moment before shaking his head and placing a tag on the body. He then stored the body into the powder room where all the explosives were kept. The figure grinned behind his mask as he realized that this part of the castle was under ground.

Running through the dark hallways, the figure stopped when he reached a door and slowly walked in. There, cage after cage, were prisoners. He could hear them in pain and could smell their filth. He swung around and a blast of air came forth, cutting through all of the locks.

"All right! We don't have much time! I am the Black Wind and I'll be your tour guide this wonderful night."

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The commander looked outside his window.

"Odd, there should be a soldier patrolling out there…"

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"Who among you can bend and what can you bend?" asked The Black Wind.

Twelve people stepped forth.

"We can Earth Bend."

Five more people walked out of the crowd of prisoners.

"We can Water Bend."

One person walked out.

"I am a Fire Bender."

"So they're imprisoning their own, huh? How'd you wind up here?" asked the Black Wind.

"I tried to help a prisoner escape, I saved her life by allowing myself to be captured in her place." he said.

"Noble. Ok, who can use a weapon?"

The rest of the people, about seven of them, stepped forth. The only ones who didn't was a mother and her infant.

"Alright, you, Fire Bender, help the Water benders guard the civilian. Earth Benders, cover our militia force here. I'll be setting off the explosives as I guide you through the encampment. By the end of this night, there will be nothing but rubble here. Any questions?" asked the dark figure.

"When do we start?" asked a random member of the crowd.

"Now."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

The commander shot out of bed when there were explosions at the west gate and the watch towers.

"We're under attack! Send all units to the west gate!"

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The group of twenty eight left through the east gate with minimal trouble. After they had traveled through the forest for about fifteen minutes, the castle exploded and the walls of the encampment started to crumble. A small group of Fire Benders escaped and started to run away.

The dark figure took out several shuriken stars and threw them, increasing their speed and accuracy with the flick of a wrist and turn of an arm. All the stars hit their targets and the last of the Fire Nation soldiers collapsed dead.

"Alright, I'm going to check this place out. If possible, we might be able to salvage this place and make a small village out of it. It looks like it would be a good trade route with that town." spoke the dark figure.

He received nods and ran into the encampment.

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The commander kicked some debris out of the way and got up to his feet. His spun around and looked left and right for his target of aggression. There stood a figure clad in black.

"So the legends are true… the Black Wind really does exist." spoke the commander.

"You will not leave." spoke the boy in black.

"You're right. I'm going to kill you, kid. Then I'm going to wipe out the rest of that town."

"I won't let you." spoke the boy.

The commander smirked and blasted a punch of fire towards the boy only for him to vanish in a puff of smoke.

"What the-?"

"Rasengan!" yelled a voice from behind him.

The commander was struck in the back by a full powered Rasengan and was sent spinning towards sharp, metal debris. There was a crunch and a squish followed by a strangled gurgling cry of pain. All was silent. The boy walked out of the remains of the encampment and turned his head towards the escapees.

"This place is to do with as you wish. There are several supplies remaining and, as I said, this could be a good trading spot. Good bye." the Black Wind then jumped forward causing air to blow all around the epicenter of where he jumped from.

"What should we name this place?" asked a freed prisoner.

"The Town of Black Winds," began the Fire Bender, "It has a nice ring to it."

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End: Ch. I

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_


	3. II: What's the Catch?

**Just responding to some reviews: **

NekoDoodle: If I posted the prologue and the first chapter separately, both would have been too short. I make it a policy to have the first chapters of my stories have at least two thousand words. Even then, I try and pass the 3000 mark. The first chapter of this story was short enough, in my opinion. However, this chapter may not be that long either, so, I've made an exception.

Demoncreater2002: I hardly think it's possible for somebody to be _super powerful_ in a fic that has anything to do with 'Avatar: The Last Air Bender'. See, Aang is twelve and he beat somebody who had to have been three times his age by mastering all four elements in under a year… that in and of itself is nearly impossible by _anybody's_ levels… but then he goes and masters the first element, Energy Bending, and beats Ozai by not having to kill him. I, for one, was outraged. My fic is definitely going to be dark and you will understand just how fair it really is in time.

MinatoNamikaze: Naruto's inability to touch people is slightly remedied in this chapter… though not fully…

Adlex47Liger0: Sorry, this story takes place after the start of the war. The Fire Nation has already been fighting the other nations for several years. If I had to chance a guess, Naruto will be fourteen by the time the Canon starts.

Selonianth: In all honesty, the Kyuubi could die. He used too much chakra and the rest of his life force to send Naruto to his home. Second, Naruto is also mortal. There are two things that can kill him:

(1: Severe head wound and/or decapitation

(2: Age, most likely to live to be anywhere between late eighties to mid-nineties

I really hope that I answered your question.

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_

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Chapter 2: 

What's the Catch?

Naruto walked out of the dark alley as he entered the temple. It had been abandoned several years ago by the other four nations. In this world, chakra was no longer commonplace because, many years ago, all of the chakra users were slaughtered in a massive war induced by fear. They were referred to as 'Energy Benders'. Now, the only people who could 'Energy Bend' were Naruto and, on rare occasions, the Avatar. This meant, of course, that this temple was Naruto's property by default.

"Neat place…" spoke Naruto as he walked past the fallen, rusted over doors. "But… it needs work."

Naruto walked forwards and stopped when he reached a statue. He removed his forehead protector to see it with his own eyes.

"No way…"

Kyuubi…

It was a statue of the great Kyuubi no Kitsune himself. Even after so much time had passed, it was still beautiful. It took Naruto's breath away as he observed the statue.

Then, something happened…

Naruto could feel some of the Kyuubi's energy that was once trapped in the seal, just leave, sucked out into the statue.

The eyes of the statue glowed as its head moved towards Naruto. It growled and then…

It thundered out an earth-shaking roar. Naruto fell to the ground, clutching his ears in pain. His hearing had increased to an incredible point, now; noises that loud actually could hurt him if he was caught off guard.

"Jinchuuriki…" spoke the statue. Naruto's eyes widened. "I see that the jailor is all that remains of the jailed. He is gone… but… I am not. You have a destiny to fulfill…"

"What are you-?"

"I shall remove your curse of sight. You may see again, but only at night. Another curse I shall remove; the memories are slower, should you improve."

Naruto was confused. He was hearing these things, how couldn't he? But, what did they mean?

All at once, the statue stopped speaking and crumbled, falling apart.

"Well that was weird." commented Naruto as he searched the temple for valuables.

It was only moments later that he felt a terrible pain run throughout his entire body.

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Naruto's eyes opened. He was inside the dark sewers of his mind; he walked towards the cage, just though force of habit, and looked inside to see a giant pulsing heart of chakra. It would pump Naruto's chakra and Kyuubi's chakra throughout the seal and his body. The heart had fused with the walls on the sides of the cage.

The heart itself was made by Kyuubi to, in theory, grant Naruto an endless supply of chakra and to make sure that all of his chakra was kept sealed inside of Naruto long after he had died.

Naruto could be knocked out or pass out from using too much chakra, but, he could never die from chakra exhaustion. It was completely impossible. But, it did prevent him from being able to use any genjutsu more advanced than the Henge no jutsu for the remainder of his life.

Naruto looked at the paper seal on the cage. There were thin veins from the chakra heart, holding it down and keeping it tied in. It was to prevent Naruto from accidentally killing himself or prevent somebody else from trying to take the chakra heart from its cage (_cough-Akatsuki-cough_).

There was something different about this place, though…

Naruto turned around to find an inscription on the wall opposite the cage.

"Sight in the night,

Within the moonlight,

A touch of mind,

Leave one behind," read Naruto.

There was a pause…

"NANI!"

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Naruto was now trudging through a desert. It had been about a month since that incident. But, it wasn't bad. Naruto was now able to remove his blind fold as long as the sun wasn't out. In addition, Naruto could transfer one memory of his choice when making contact. If he held on for longer than ten seconds, the person would start to be granted other painful memories.

Though, if a memory was used on a person once, it would never work on that same person again. At that time, Naruto posed a theory… If somebody could live through all of his memories of pain, then they would be able to make contact with him. He would finally be able to feel…

Naruto was sweating bullets underneath his black clothing. He was starting to doubt his chances of survival.

_That_ was saying something.

Naruto could survive for an entire week without water before his life was in danger.

Naruto turned his head towards his left and caught sight of something.

A cactus…

"Wait… don't cacti have water in them?" he asked himself out loud.

Running to the cactus, falling over himself once or twice in the sand, he pulled out a kunai and slashed off a piece of the cactus and took a big sip.

"Wow, that's good stuff." said Naruto with a smile.

In mere seconds, the entire cactus was drained of its precious liquids, its remnants used in a stew of its own liquids later that day.

Naruto was feeling lucky. There were cacti every so often and he was no longer severely dehydrated. He tripped in the sand and got up again. It was difficult for him to travel throughout the desert in his clothing. He heard a distant, warped flapping sound and fell to the ground… on purpose this time.

He just barely dodged an assault from a Buzzard-Wasp.

Buzzard-Wasps are just that, a cross between a buzzard and a wasp. Not that Naruto knew, he had never 'seen' a Buzzard-Wasp before so it was impossible for him to understand how to fight it correctly.

The creature swooped down to take a bite out of Naruto, only for him to blast it back with a punch of his fist.

The creature started to try and shake off the blast of Air Bending it had just been forced through, then it fired honey at Naruto before sweeping down for a secondary attack.

Naruto pulled out a pair of kunai and spun around with the air and wind.

A blade of wind fired out and slashed everything in its path. The two halves of honey fell to the ground… the Buzzard-Wasp quickly followed.

Only one thought ran through Naruto's mind at that time…

"Lunch," he said, licking his lips.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Naruto was currently hiding out in a rough shelter he had built from the carcasses of Buzzard-Wasps and their honey. There were cacti outside of the rough hut he'd made.

Naruto grinned as he inspected the kunai he had made from the Buzzard-Wasps' bones.

They were hollow and light as a feather, but, they were clearly stronger than steel. He'd already created a sword from the spines of some of these creatures.

It was a sword that was a bizarre cross between a claymore and a ninjato. It was an X-shaped hilt that had a blade about 137 centimeters; it was about the same height as Naruto.

Naruto swung the blade around and tried to use Air Bending with it. The sword suddenly increased in size, it resembled a giant, glowing green butcher's knife more than the sword it really was. It weighed the same.

Naruto took a test swing and all of the energy was blasted out.

Naruto's eyes comically widened beneath his blindfold, if it weren't for Naruto's clothing, the small sand storm he created would have possibly blinded him… for real, this time.

Naruto slowly walked back into his little hut and decided to play innocent when the Sand Benders came.

Sand Benders had been a real problem for Naruto. They had been after him for weeks, now and had nothing but ill-will towards him. Naruto sighed as he remembered his first conflict with them…

It wasn't his fault that they had lost their food; in fact, he had warned them that some animal in the desert was bound to take their food if they didn't keep it in a safe place.

Naruto rubbed his leg remembering how it was almost crushed by one of the Sand Benders there.

Naruto's ears perked up as he heard the Sand Benders approaching.

He walked out of the hut and was met with silence.

The sun was setting and the heat seemed more intense than before, a sort of… _tension_ was hanging in the air.

There was still silence.

Naruto sighed for the umpteenth time that day, "Ok, so, what do you want this time?" he asked, finally.

"To give you back some trash we found in the desert." replied the Sand Bender with nothing but pure hatred and disgust in his voice.

Sand Benders and Air Benders had a unique and unspoken grudge with one another, though, this grudge seemed to have dissipated 100 years ago, and it was reborn when they went extinct. The only Air Bender that they would dare bow to, would be no one less than the Avatar him or herself!

Once again, Naruto was being hated for something he couldn't control.

But, what was this? They said they had _trash_ for him?

"We found this bastard in the sand_ just_ inside of our territory. His head band looks a lot like yours, so, we decided to let you deal with him." shrugged the leader of the group.

Naruto scowled.

"Tell me, is the sun down?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah. Why?" asked a Sand Bender, confused.

Naruto pushed his headband up to his forehead and looked around with strange, red eyes.

His gaze settled on the Sand Benders' hostage.

An eight-year-old boy with a slashed Iwa Hitai-ate tied around his forehead with long hair in a pony tail. He was wearing gloves.

Naruto had lost the ability to comprehend colors. All around him, the people were a pitch-black highlighted white with a red moon overshadowing the world, a perpetual Tsukiyomi vision.

Naruto heard a second heart-beat. He turned his head to see a bag.

"Who's in the other bag?" asked Naruto.

"We're selling the fish-girl, so you can forget about it!" yelled a Sand Bender, stupidly.

Naruto's brain started to do work. Who did he know that could be called 'Fish-Girl'? The answer was only two words long: No one.

Naruto's scowl deepened as he frowned.

He took out his sword.

"Give me the bag, or die." Naruto spoke.

The Sand Benders laughed.

"What can a kid who can't even be seven years old do to us?!" laughed out the lead Sand Bender.

He was silenced as his head was slashed from his body.

The corpse bled out into the sand.

"Bag. Now." said Naruto again, getting up from his rough position in the red sand with his sword being held in a tight grip.

The Sand Benders immediately threw the bag and dropped another item as they frantically left.

Naruto checked the first shinobi's pulse, finding it strong; he let out a sigh of relief and ran to the bag.

Opening it up revealed a bandaged girl who was about Naruto's age, if not a year older. Naruto blinked and searched for a Hitai-ate just in time for the girl to wake up.

"Pervert!" she yelled before slapping him across his covered face. It still hurt, hell it stung. But, at least it wasn't his exposed skin.

He fell backwards and decided it was a good time to put his blind fold back on.

The other boy got up.

"What the hell… Where am I, un? Suna?" asked the blond boy.

"No. But, that was an educated guess and I'm proud you were able to come to a reasonable conclusion." responded the girl, snidely.

"Wha- You! You're here too, un?!" shouted the boy.

"Well I _was_ following you!"

"Hey…" interjected Naruto to stop the verbal fight.

"I blame you, un." spoke the boy.

"How exactly is this _my_ fault?" asked the girl.

"Hey." spoke Naruto a little louder.

"I remember _you_ being the one who said it would be a good idea to use that temple for shelter!" said the girl.

"It's not my fault you can't keep up, yeah! If you weren't so tired, I wouldn't have been forced to improvise, un!" shouted back the boy.

"Hey!" shouted Naruto.

The two who were bickering stopped and took a look at Naruto.

"Who're you?" they asked at the same time before glaring at each other.

"My name is Naruto. Who are you two?" he asked.

"My name is Isaribi, the dumb blonde's name is Deidara." said Isaribi.

"Yellow? That's your hair color? I never would have guessed." commented Naruto dryly.

"What? Never would have- What are you, blind, yeah?!" shouted Deidara.

"Insensitive jerk." muttered Isaribi.

"Huh?"

Isaribi pointed to Naruto's blind fold.

"Oh…" spoke Deidara with slight understanding. He laughed lightly, "Gomen…"

"No problem. I'm not fully blind, I'm just not able to remove my blindfold in the morning and my eyes are weird enough as is. It'll be a rare sight to see my eyes. Puns intended…" said Naruto.

Deidara looked towards the object that the Sand Benders had dropped.

"What _is_ that?" asked Naruto.

"The Samefin, Shark Fin, said to be the sister to the Samehada, the Shark Skin." responded Isaribi.

"It was my job to get the sword and deliver it to the Mizukage personally, yeah. It was owned by Isaribi here and she refused to part with it, un. She just escaped from some place and wanted something to defend herself with." said Deidara.

"We fought and neither of us gave in. So, Dei-chan gave me the offer to go to Iwa and have a life. I didn't like it, but, it was the best offer I was given in a long time. I rolled with it." continued Isaribi.

"The trip to Kirigakure no Sato would most likely be long and painful, as it was the storm season. So we had to take breaks and stopped at hotels and the occasional town, yeah."

"When we were attacked by another nuke-nin, like Dei-chan, we decided to stop at a temple. We were injured and it was thundering out…"

"Lightning struck the bell tower and spire… it then traveled down to an iron statue of the Kyuubi no Kitsune and we suddenly blacked out, un. Next thing we knew, we were in a desert and our jutsu weren't working, yeah. Then some group of nut jobs that could manipulate sand attacked us, un."

"Was there anything you could still do?" asked Naruto.

"I can still make statues and explosives; Isaribi can still morph to her… unique form and use her sword properly, un." said Deidara.

"Anything else?" asked Naruto.

"I can manipulate water. Not well, but, well enough to fight. Deidara can do the same with rocks and earth." said Isaribi.

"What about your shinobi techniques?" asked Naruto.

"As far as I can tell, we can only use our most unique abilities with chakra, un. It doesn't work with anything else, yeah." said Deidara.

"I can use only five jutsu, but, I've mastered them to the point so that most jonin are likely to have a slight problem with me. I can also manipulate the wind and air." said Naruto. "Isaribi-san, you are what the people of this world would refer to as a Water Bender. Deidara-san, you are also a Bender, one of earth. I'm heading to Ba Sing Se to live there for a month before I try to find work. If you'd like to, you can accompany me there." said Naruto.

"Wait… first thing's first, un. How do we bend?" asked Deidara.

"Taijutsu is able to control the bending done in this world. The best benders are, in effect, the best Taijutsu masters." responded Naruto.

"Can my sword help me with this… bending?" asked Isaribi.

"Yes, the mastery of a weapon is recommended in bending usage. Try making your own Taijutsu, it worked for me. I derived mine from the Goken, Jyuuken, and a basic Air Bending scroll I found with one of the merchants around here. That was not cheap…"

And so, children, this is how the Shinobi trio came to be… by sheer coincidence and a joke by the cosmic forces, three children came together, each with their own blessing and curse.

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Well, that's it for chapter II.

Hope you liked it.

I'll get my next chapter in ASAP.

Just please don't forget to:

Review: these are important and criticism is greatly appreciated… as is praise.

Rate: Like, what do you think of this on a one to ten scale?

Comment: Say what you want, if you have questions, shout it out. I'll respond to anyone who sounds confused from their review.

Well, I suppose that's it…

Next chapter, I'll introduce Toph.

See you then!

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_


	4. III: Of Bodyguards and Blindness

**Just responding to some reviews: **

Selonianth: Well, Toph is a sort of yes/no on the memories. She'll feel pain transferred from the memories, but, because of her blindness, she won't be as affected as severely as anyone else. Basically, she's still affected by Naruto's touch… It's just dulled to a point where it is much easier for her to handle.

foxflight: Deidara wasn't an Akatsuki member yet, Gaara won't be appearing in this story, and I'm glad you like it.

I really hope that answered your questions.

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Chapter 3: 

Of Bodyguards and Blindness

Naruto woke up coughing. He looked around. He was in a room.

'_That's helpful…'_ he thought to himself.

He paused.

He could see?

He could see!

He looked down at himself and noticed some of the bandages almost immediately. He turned his head and caught sight of his clothing on the bedside. His blind fold wasn't far from it.

He quickly got out of bed, despite his body's protests, and got dressed.

The door opened.

"Oh, it appears you're awake." said the woman who opened the door.

"What happened?" asked Naruto, still assessing the situation.

"Some of the villagers found you injured in a barrel that had just washed up on the shore. Since the people would suffer pain every time they touched you, they brought you here using gloves. We couldn't just leave you to die. So, we stitched up your clothes and helped nurse you back to health. You've been here for about a month. We actually didn't expect you to survive let alone make an almost perfect recovery." said the woman.

"Ah… wait… what do you mean by 'almost'? Am I going to suffer a heart attack and suddenly die if a fish starts to fly or something?" asked Naruto, worried.

The woman blinked and started to laugh at the absurdity of the image Naruto had conjured up.

"No, no… Your leg wasn't able to heal properly and you will walk with a slight limp for the rest of you life…" she ended with some sadness.

Naruto's eyes widened behind his blindfold, but, then he though of all that _could_ have happened to him… Deidara and Isaribi might not have lived or they could have barely escaped. But, if they had suffered the same injuries as Naruto had, they'd be dead. So, Naruto decided that having a slight limp was better than being dead.

"Well, at least I'm alive." said Naruto with a shrug as he strapped his sword to his back.

The woman paused and examined Naruto.

"A little young to be a warrior, don't you think?" she asked him.

"Not at all ma'am, I know hundreds of ways to kill a person. Hell, I could kill a person by touching or looking at them." said Naruto.

The woman laughed at the seven-year-old. He may have been trying to sound serious, but, she couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity. She could believe the touching part, though…

"Well, little warrior, what's your name?" she asked.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki." he said.

"Hm? Are you from a royal family?"

"No. I don't even know if I have a family."

The woman couldn't help but pity the boy. He wore all that clothing to keep people safe. He was unable to touch somebody without them possibly dying. He didn't have a family…

There were sounds outside.

"Ma'am, what is that?" asked Naruto.

"Huh… oh! Those are just some people practicing Earth Bending outside. If you'd like you can come watch-"

Naruto winced and the woman clapped her hands on her mouth.

"No problem, I'm not really blind. I just can't remove my blind fold until the sun's down." said Naruto, sorrow evident in his voice.

He got up and left the room.

Something occurred to the woman.

"Wait, you can't see… so, how can you walk around like this?" asked the woman.

"My sense of hearing and smell are phenomenally high. Using these two senses, I can go anywhere I want through sound vibrations and I can track people and other objects with my nose. Pretty neat, right?" asked Naruto.

"I suppose…" replied the woman, unsure.

When she had focused her gaze, she noticed that Naruto had already vanished.

"What in the world…?"

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Naruto simply stood there inside o the Earth Bending academy and observed through his senses as a girl went through the basic exercises over and over again.

Naruto could practically feel the potential radiating off of her…

So why wouldn't they give her a chance?

Why wasn't she being given the opportunity to prove herself?

"Why can't you teach me some of the more advanced exercises?" asked the girl to the teacher.

"Toph, I would teach you, if not for your… handicap…" spoke the teacher.

"But, I can try! Just because I'm blind doesn't mean-"

"It means that you could easily get yourself killed. I'm doing everything in my power to make sure you know how to slightly defend yourself, but, you must follow my methods to learn how to Earth Bend." said the teacher.

Naruto sighed. '_This guy takes the phrase 'following blindly' to a whole new perspective…_'

He hated it when people underestimated others. It would almost immediately lead to their defeat.

Naruto stood and observed for a few more seconds before the woman from earlier found him.

"There you are! What do you think you're doing? Walking around blindfolded in an Earth Bending academy… Are you trying to get yourself killed?" she asked him.

"The world would be a better place with _my_ death." spoke Naruto in a cold manner.

It was true. He could only hurt people and they would only hurt him. He would just be called a monster and his world was stained with blood.

The world would probably be a better place without him… Besides, Deidara and Isaribi were most likely dead. What did he have to live for?

"Never say that, there's always hope." said the woman firmly.

"I've been alone for most of my life, I've been beaten attacked and countless people have tried to slaughter me for their own twisted reasons. I can't touch somebody without the risk of their death and my vision is literally black, white, and red all over. The only friends I've ever made are most likely dead. I was ready to _die_. Give me one good reason to live, because my hope was crushed the minute I woke up." said Naruto.

Every word of it was true.

He literally had no reason for living…

He had no purpose…

'Destiny' was what that statue said, right?

Maybe his destiny was at the end of a lynch knot or his neck and his own knife…

He would finally be free…

The woman was in thought.

If she didn't get something soon, the poor boy may have tried to commit suicide.

Then an idea dawned upon her.

"You can fight, right?" asked the woman.

Naruto nodded in response.

The woman looked at Toph before looking back at Naruto.

"Tell me, Naruto… have you ever thought of trying to be a body guard before?" asked the woman.

Naruto blinked, he wasn't expecting that.

"Well, I've protected people before… but… I don't know. With my luck, I'd probably fail…" he said in a depressed tone.

"There is a girl from the Bei Fong family and she is blind and helpless. It would be child's play for somebody to snatch her in the middle of the night."

"…Why would you ask me to protect her? She sounds even younger than I am. Also, she would need constant protection. With my record, she could just die… Why ask me?"

"As her mother, I must always keep her best interests in heart. I will not let anyone harm her… but… there is only so much that I can do…"

There was silence.

"…I'm not saying that I'm accepting this, but… If I agree to help Toph, what must I do?"

"First I need to see how capable you are in a combat situation. Then I need to know precisely what your abilities are. Finally, you must keep Toph safe." said Toph's mother.

Naruto nodded.

Toph's mother finally couldn't take it.

"Please, I need somebody to keep her safe. I'll give you whatever you want if you do."

There was another silence.

"My payment is my purpose. I want no gold, food, or shelter. If you wish for me to protect your daughter so badly, I shall protect her with my life. That, ma'am, is a promise… And I never go back on my word, my nindo…"

"I'll find somebody to test you tomorrow." said Toph's mother.

"Before you go, ma'am, I'd like to at least know your name." drawled Naruto.

"My name? I am Chún Bei Fong." she said.

Naruto nodded and turned back to the Earth Benders.

'_Chún means pure… but it also means being rich. How appropriate… I don't sense any will to do wrong coming from her… she truly wishes for Toph to be happy.'_ Naruto used his sound to 'see' Toph. _'However… Protecting Toph is one thing, but, hindering her growth is something else entirely. I'll keep her safe even at the cost of my life, but… I'll also ensure her happiness.'_

Naruto gave a sad smile.

'_Besides… What else do I have to do other than keep her safe?'_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Toph sighed as she finally got out of bed. A frown was present on her face.

She had just gone through the basics… again. The five-year-old had reached a new level of boredom.

She hated her parents not letting her advance.

Oh well, she was currently teaching herself Earth Bending by playing around with the Badgermoles…

She smiled at the thought.

At least _they_ knew how to get down and dirty.

She heard knocking at her door.

"Come in." she said politely.

Somebody walked in.

"Miss Toph, I am to guide you to the yard. You need to be present for something extremely important." said the man.

"Alright, I'm coming." said Toph.

She had already gotten dressed.

It was the same kind of out fit every morning. She had learned how to put it on by herself.

As they were walking, Toph couldn't help but ask a question that had been on her mind.

"Why are we going out to the yard?"

The man hesitated before answering.

"Your mother has requested that all people in the Bei Fong Estate are to be present. Your mother has hired a body guard for you and will be testing his capabilities today." said the man.

Toph nodded, showing she understood.

They reached the yard after about five minutes.

"Oh good, you're here." said Toph's father, greeting her.

"Why do I need to be here if I won't be able to see anything?" asked Toph, bluntly.

Her father winced.

"The person who is going to protect you would at least like to know who he's protecting. You're being here is more of a form of respect than anything else."

"Oh…"

"Hm, is that him?" asked Toph's father.

"Yes, that's him." responded her mother.

"But he can't be older than seven, he's walking with a limp, _and_ he's blindfolded. Is he _trying_ to disrespect us?" asked Toph's father.

"No. He doesn't want to offend us in any way, but he suffers a condition that makes it dangerous for him to reveal his eyes to people while the sun is up. As for the limp and age… he seemed confident of his abilities." said Toph's mother.

Toph frowned.

Some other kid around her age was going to protect her and he was not only blind but couldn't walk properly?

Oh joy…

His opponent sounded like some kind of heavy lifter and a strong Earth Bender.

This kid was going to get himself killed…

Meanwhile in the yard itself, the Earth Bender stood there.

"Listen, kid… I don't want to hurt you or anything, so, how about you just forget about this whole thing? You can just limp home to your mommy (Naruto winced, unnoticed by anyone but Toph) and I can collect the cash. So, how about it?" asked the Earth Bender.

Naruto's only response was to unsheathe his blade.

The Earth Bender smirked as he took out a large bladed hammer.

"Alright, brat… But you asked for it!" the Earth Bender yelled before charging.

'_He's not moving?! He'll get crushed!'_ thought Toph as she listened to the Earth Bender charge and 'Watched' him through the earth.

The hammer came down and Naruto brought up his concealed hand, holding a swirling ball of energy.

He hit the hammer and destroyed it instantly.

The Earth Bender was sent backwards, startled, and then became enraged.

The brought his foot down and a slab of earth was brought into the air and then sent straight at Naruto.

Naruto swung his sword down and sliced the slab in half, sending a blade of wind straight towards the Earth Bender.

He barely had the opportunity to dodge.

Naruto ran towards him at a fast pace.

…Very fast…

Naruto Thrust his sword forwards and scratched the Earth Bender's side before ducking low and swinging his sword across the back of the man's ankles.

As he collapsed backwards from the cut tendons, Naruto struck the back of the Earth Bender's head with his elbow.

Naruto won.

The audience just sat there, amazed.

Naruto sheathed his blade.

"When do I start?" he asked in a cold tone, turning his head towards Toph.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

That's it for chapter 3.

Not bad, I hope.

Anyway, you know the drill.

Review

Rate

Comment

Ask Questions

With that said, I bid you ado.

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_


	5. IV: I Don't Like You

**Just responding to some reviews: **

Selonianth: The previous chapter acted with a time-skip factor. You'll find out what happened to Deidara and Isaribi in time, but, for now, the story will be focusing on Naruto and Toph.

Dark Spidey: Naruto's healing factor was never removed; all his injuries still can heal at an incredible pace. But, that doesn't mean that they will heal correctly. For example, say Naruto gets impaled by a branch… His skin, organs, tissues, etc, will just find a unique way to heal _around_ the branch, doing more harm than good. Naruto's leg wasn't in a nice position when it healed, so, he was bound to get a limp. Also, I've demonstrated him as being ridiculously powerful, enough. I decided to finally give him an Achilles' Heal… No pun intended.

WTFisWrongWithYou: Like I explained to Selonianth, the time skip was intentional. I didn't miss anything. All will be revealed, albeit slowly, in the next couple chapters.

Trife: I assure you that the Avatar will appear in this story, but, that won't be for a few more years. Until then, I'll be giving you stories of Naruto and Toph through the years.

I really hope that answered your questions.

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Chapter 4: 

I Don't Like You

Naruto stood in the center of the yard, the beaten Earth Bender only a few _feet_ away from him.

"When do I start?" he had asked.

It took Toph's father a few seconds to decide.

"You'll start tomorrow at noon." said the father, keeping a weary eye on the boy.

"Yes, sir." said Naruto with a bow.

He then limped off the stage.

Toph decided now would be a good time to intervene.

"You can't be serious, right? I mean, that kid just took out a really strong Earth Bender, from what I heard, _and_ he had a limp!" shouted Toph.

Though her intervention was rather loud, she made a good point. What was stopping this 'Naruto' character from suddenly turning around and knifing their daughter in the heart? …Quite simply, nothing.

"But, he said it himself. He has nowhere to go and he would have nothing to gain from hurting you." assured Toph's mother.

Toph was unconvinced. This kid could have killed that man. What's worse, he held no remorse when he could have ended the man's career as an Earth Bender. He reeked of death and was just so…

..Cold…

She _hated_ him. He frightened her to new lengths and made her afraid of what _could_ be. That boy, no, that _monster_ easily wanted to kill her…

…But…

She wasn't sure. Her parents hadn't felt the underlying tone of warmth in that blizzard he called a voice. They didn't feel kindness radiating off of him as much as they felt fear and death. They couldn't understand what he _should_ have been. Toph could easily recognize that Naruto didn't enjoy bloodshed.

…But… He still fucking creeped her out, quite frankly, she was positive this kid was bad news…

She was broken from her musings as she heard the man shout something.

"You damn brat! You can't do this! I'll kill you for making a fool out of me!" yelled the man as he stumbled to his broken feet.

Naruto turned and spoke, "You've lost. There's nothing more to it than that. But, if you attack me with the intent to kill, I'll b happy to oblige."

The man smirked and punched, sending a medium-sized rock at Naruto. Naruto simply sighed and spun around, his sword out. A blade of wind slashed the rock in two and continued on to the Earth Bender.

Frantic, he attempted to jump out of the way, but, with his ankles so damaged, he only fell to his knees as a blade of wind swiftly went through him. For a few seconds, he just stayed in his kneeling position.

But then, thin red lines traced his arms and waist. The lines thickened as blood stained his clothes and the yard. He collapsed backwards, his arms sticking out from the earth and his body below the torso still in its kneeling position. His half body was on the ground sputtering incoherent words of pain.

His life was over, so, Naruto decided to end his suffering. He walked over to the man and pulled up his Hitai-ate before looking directly into the man's eyes.

He didn't even scream as his eyes glossed over and became unseeing.

He coughed up blood just as Naruto replaced his headband and walked away.

The man was dead.

Toph and her parents just stood there, speechless at what had just occurred. This boy had killed somebody without so much as a blink of an eye… well; they didn't think so, at least.

Toph mother looked ill and had left the yard to find somewhere 'dignified' enough to throw up.

Her father seemed to be hyperventilating.

Toph feared for her life.

_He_ was her protector?

A killer…

Wow…

Her parents _sure_ knew how to pick 'em, she had thought bitterly.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Toph sat in her room alone, mulling the day over in her mind.

Her bodyguard was a psychopath.

Her bodyguard was colder than ice.

Her bodyguard… was standing in her doorway.

"What do _you_ want?" asked Toph.

"I'd like to get to know the person that I'm protecting. It's… odd. You aren't like how your parents describe you." said Naruto.

"If they actually got to know me, then they wouldn't be so wrong."

"Hai, that makes sense."

"Hai?"

"Oh, yes. I'm not exactly from around here. I speak a language called Japanese. Hai means yes, Toph-sama."

"Sama?"

"Sama is an Honorific. It shows great respect and formality. I often use them around others."

"That's just… weird."

"It can be, sometimes. But, I don't rally care. Speaking Japanese is as much a part of me as being a shinobi is."

"Shinobi?"

"Hai, a shinobi literally means 'Human Tool'. It is my job to kill… but… that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it."

"I thought you killed him in cold blood."

"No. I can tell that even you doubt these words. I killed him in self defense, I even warned him. Every time I kill a person, I die a little more inside. It's sad, really… But, what else is left for me. Toph-sama, your mother was able to get me to protect you, and I will do so with my life."

"I don't like you."

"That can't be helped, I suppose. Not many people do like a person who kills…"

There was a pregnant pause.

"How long have you been killing?" asked Toph, hesitantly.

"…I'll tell you when you're older…"

Toph groaned and threw a pillow at Naruto.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

(_One Month Later_)

Toph sighed as she ran her hand through her hair.

She had to do the basics… _again!_

She took a rock she had found outside and started to manipulate it.

She heard to door open as Naruto entered.

Toph dropped the rock she was holding at the sound of his voice.

"I see that you're much better at Earth Bending than you let on…" he spoke.

"I hate it when you do that! Please, don't tell my parents!" she said, desperate.

"Who said I was going to tell them? They underestimate the disabled, Toph. I'd like to help you show them the light." Naruto said.

"What?"

"You want to be a great Earth Bender, I'll help you. I may be a shinobi and Air Bender, but, if there's one thing I know how to do, other than kill, it's being able to help somebody."

"Why would you want to train me? I could get hurt."

"It's because you need happiness in your life. Trust me when I say that life is not worth living if you aren't happy."

"…I still don't like you."

"And I never said you had to."

Toph started to walk out when a sudden thought hit her.

"But, if my parents come in, won't they realize that I'm gone?" asked Toph.

"Don't worry, I've got a plan for that." said Naruto.

It took all Toph had not to jump in surprise when there were two puffs of smoke and an exact replica of herself and Naruto were standing there. She blinked a few times and jumped up and down on the ground to make sure the earth wasn't sending her a faulty message.

"They're real…" she said in awe.

"No, not real… just convincing. They'll disappear after five hours or a solid hit, like a punch or kick." explained Naruto.

"This has to be magic…"

"No, but you're close. It's called a jutsu. You may not be capable of performing it, but, I can. Especially since I'm a shinobi." said Naruto.

"…Naruto… Why haven't I ever heard of shinobi until a month ago?"

"Shinobi are _very_ rare in the Elemental Nations. I only know two other shinobi here and I'm not sure if they're even alive right now. Because there are so few of us shinobi, not many people come to us for jobs. I'm here working for free. Mostly following a promise and favor." ended Naruto with a shrug.

"What do you mean?"

"…I'll tell you when you're older…"

Toph groaned, threw her pillow at Naruto and walked out of the room muttering something about 'damn secretive ninja…'

Naruto simply shadowed her on their way out.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Naruto stood in the cave without his blindfold, taking in the sights. He had nothing to fear since Badgermoles had no eyes and Toph, too, was blind.

"Hey, Naruto!" shouted Toph in the middle of her training.

"What?" asked Naruto.

"Well… Why do you wear so much clothing? I mean, people can't even see your skin." said Toph; "Also, I know you're not blind, so, why do you wear a blindfold?" she asked.

"…I can't touch anyone; otherwise, they could suffer immeasurable pain. I can't look someone in the eye while the sun's up, or else they'll die. My blindfold is currently off because you're blind, blind people are unaffected by my sight abilities."

"…What? You mean, you could see anytime you wanted to, but, you don't want to because you could hurt somebody?"

"That's pretty much it."

"…That's deep…"

"I know."

Toph couldn't help but pity Naruto. He had a limp, made himself blind, and couldn't feel somebody else without hurting them. It was really… sad…

"Toph, I'd prefer to not be pitied." said Naruto.

Toph's eyes widened.

"I read your facial expressions and listened to your heartbeat. I've cried enough already. But, there's some hope. I may not have my sight, but, my unique sense of touch and most of my sight abilities won't be passed on to my kids, if I have any. Also, when I make contact with somebody's skin enough times, they'll become immune to my ability. I'm sure, one day; I'll be able to find happiness… one day…"

Toph couldn't help but hear the hopelessness of his words.

"Oh, speaking of, Toph. Why not say introductions?" asked Naruto.

"Introductions?" asked Toph, testing the new word on her five-year-old tongue.

"Hai. You know, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future…"

"Why don't you go first?"

"Alright. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like a lot of stuff; I dislike a lot of stuff. My dream for the future… I have many hobbies…" he ended cryptically.

Toph's eye twitched.

"All you told me was your name!"

Somewhere in an alternate world, a certain Jonin sneezed and ruined his most prized Icha Icha Paradise book. It should be noted that he never again removed his mask for more than a second, for that was all it took to destroy his best day ever.

…Back to the story…

"True… Oh well, your turn."

"My name is Toph Bei Fong. I like Earth Bending, soft things, breaking stuff, winning, and just being me. I dislike Fire Bending, rough and sharp things, being neat, losing, and being ordered around. My hobbies include practicing Earth Bending, gambling, pulling pranks, and…" she paused to think, "My dream is…" a longer pause followed, "To become the greatest Earth Bender ever! That's my dream, believe it!"

Naruto flinched and stilled.

(_Flashback_)

"Naruto, you really need to get a hobby of some kind. In fact, I think that you need a goal." said the Sandaime as he watched the four-year-old.

"I've already got one, Oji-san!" he replied laughing.

"Oh? Mind telling?" he asked.

"My goal, my dream is to be the best of _all_ the Hokage one day! That's my dream, Dattebayo!"

(_End Flashback_)

"That's a… great dream, Toph. I'm sure that you will one day succeed." said Naruto inspirationally.

Toph smiled.

"Now, your stance is a little off, try shifting your foot a little more to your right." said Naruto.

There was a pause.

"Naruto?" questioned Toph.

"Hai?"

"…Which way is right?"

"…This is going to take a while…" muttered Naruto under his breath.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

(_1 month later_)

"Nice job, Toph-sama. That last stance was a little off, though. But, aside from that, I think you could probably take on at least one enemy on equal grounds, presuming he or she isn't an Earth Bender…." said Naruto.

Toph beamed.

"So, to commemorate this momentous occasion, I've taken the liberty of purchasing seats at your favorite restaurant stand."

He was met with the confused gaze of a five-year-old.

"I have enough money to buy some ramen at your favorite stand." said Naruto flatly.

Toph cheered.

There were many things Naruto was glad for, one of which being that that there was ramen in this world. Because of his lack of taste, he had learned to take pleasure in whatever he ate. Ramen was one of the few foods out there that he _could_ taste. Thus, he had learned to appreciate it.

Sadly, no ramen was as good as Ichiraku Ramen. They knew _exactly_ what they were doing when they made their ramen. Naruto couldn't help but lick his lips in remembrance of the wonderful flavors of Ichiraku Ramen.

Before blindfolding himself, he turned his gaze to Toph. It shocked him so much… It was like looking at a reflection. A warped reflection of what could be.

Toph was like a richer version of himself. It was something he appreciated, knowing that there were others similar to him in this world.

He covered his eyes and took Toph outside with him.

"I still don't like you." she said after about five minutes.

"I never asked for it." replied Naruto with a shrug.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

(_1 month later_)

"You know something, Naruto?" asked Toph.

"What?" asked Naruto.

"Well… I've been thinking-"

"Don't hurt yourself, now."

Toph responded by walking up to him and smacking him in the back of his head.

"As, I was saying… I've been thinking. There's this tournament that just came to town, it's an underground sort of thing so my parents don't really know about it. So… maybe you could take me there to…"

"No."

"What?! What do you mean 'No'?!"

"I mean that you could get hurt. You'd get cocky and they'd get you." said Naruto.

"But you said it yourself! You said that I could take fight an enemy on equal grounds!"

"True, but, I never said that you could take on an Earth Bender…" said Naruto.

"Please," she was on her knees, "I won't improve training alone like this and I _need_ the practice!" said Toph.

"…" there was a pause.

"_Please!_"

"…Fine… On one condition!" shouted Naruto in the middle of Toph's victory dance.

She stilled.

"If things are looking excessively dangerous and I don't think you can handle it, I'll throw in the towel for you and pull you out immediately. Understood?" he asked in a cold tone.

Toph's mind flashed back to the Earth Bender Naruto had killed. He was serious…

"…Al-Alright…"

Naruto's features softened.

"Toph-sama, I'm sorry if I've frightened you. But, you must realize that it is my duty to protect you."

She turned to look at him.

"I get it and all… but…"

"But…?"

"…That doesn't mean I have to like you."

Naruto sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Alright, then… So, when do you start?" asked Naruto.

Toph shrugged, "I don't know. I just heard some kids talking about it, they gave me a poster… But I can't read." she ended, waving her hand in front of her eyes.

"Right… still have that poster?" asked Naruto.

"Yep!" she said.

Naruto took the poster and almost lost his cool right then and there.

The date of the first tournament was…

It was on the Sandaime's Birthday… February eighth… in one week…

That was either a stroke of luck or a twisted omen.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Naruto stood in the stands 'watching' the Earth Bending tournament the entire time. He could tell that Toph's current and championship match… was about to end badly for her. But, instead of intervening, he wanted to make certain that Toph at least had a fair chance at winning.

The Earth Bender threw a boulder at Toph just as she brought up earth to block it… barely.

Naruto kept 'watch' of the match intently, reaching his hand to his sword just as the Earth Bender knocked Toph down.

Toph's sensitive hearing picked up on Naruto sliding his blade out of his sheath and decided to end the match right there.

"Are you finally going to give up, _girl_?" asked the arrogant, sexist Earth Bender.

Toph felt her eye twitch.

"Hell no!" she got up and swung her foot to the ground bringing a pillar of earth up and striking her opponent in a very… _sensitive_ area to males.

He fell to the ground and Toph formed the pillar once more to knock him out of the arena…

…And into Naruto who fell out of the stands.

He made a pledge to be more watchful whenever sitting in the front rows…

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Great job, Toph-sama, you really showed 'em!" said Naruto.

"I know! I can't wait until the next tournament in a month.

Naruto stilled and paled, flashing back to when the Earth Bender had collided with him in the stands.

"N-Next tournament?" he asked.

"Yep! Then the tournament after that, and the tournament after that, and the tournament after that…"

Naruto had turned white and stiff as a board.

Only one thought ran through his head…

'_This girl __really__ must not like me!_'

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

End of Chapter 4!

I'm on fire this week!

Just to let you know, I won't be updating this story till December. I've got some work cut out for me with my other stories.

Savor this…

Also, I have a poll on my profile page. When you're done reading this, please go there and vote for up to three different options.

Good bye for now, readers!

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_


	6. V: Stop, Drop, Roll, Attack

**Just responding to some reviews: **

Matthew Blackheart: I'll think about it.

Bleach Z: There will be surprises in the future, I assure you.

Dark Spidey: Your story is, in my opinion, all over the place and rather difficult to follow. Also, it's not my type. Real life stories with no element of shinobi in them aren't my cup of tea and I found it fascinatingly difficult to read even half of your first chapter. Try a crossover fic; everybody loves a good crossover fic…

Elemental Dragon Swordsman: There is no major time skip, I'm moving along at a specific pace to get a sort of relationship started. In a few chapters, the 'Canon with a twist' shall start.

FumetsuKaji: Naruto and Toph will eventually meet the 'Avatar Company', as you put it. As for breaking his limb… well, would _you_ want to break _your_ limb? Naruto doesn't want to do that mostly because it's a slight limp that doesn't hinder him too badly and he doesn't feel like adding 'I broke my leg on purpose after it had healed' onto his long list of unfortunate, painful events.

I really hope that answered your questions.

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Chapter 5: 

Stop, Drop, Roll, Attack

(_1 year later_)

"Naruto. I think that I need an outfit change." said Toph.

Naruto blinked behind his blindfold, "What do you mean? You look perfect, to me."

There was a moment of silence before a smack resounded throughout the cave.

"Itai (Ouch)…" said Naruto, rubbing the back of his head.

"You're color blind and usually can't see anyway! My last opponent _actually_ taunted me because of how ridiculous I looked!"

"Toph-sama, as much as I'd _enjoy_, and I use this term loosely, to help you with your clothing problems, you said it yourself. I'm color blind and will almost always give you ridiculous clothing."

"What about that Henge thingy?"

"The Henge no jutsu usually _does_ require color that has to be imagined by the user. However, I've perfected it to a point that I can do that without knowing the colors of who or whatever I'm transforming myself or my Kagebunshin into."

"…Oh… I have no idea what you said… but I think I sort of understand…"

"You're clueless, aren't you?"

"Yep."

Naruto sighed, "I'll tell you again when you're older…"

"God damn it! What's with you and the 'I'll tell you when you're older' shit!" she yelled at him.

For a brief time all was silent until Toph's eyes widened and she took a step back.

"Toph-sama… where did you learn such language?" asked Naruto, sweetly.

"Uh… Well, there are a lot of angry people when they lose bets on the guys who I beat… and they… um…"

"Ah… Toph-sama, if you ever use those choice words in public or even private again… I'll-"

"Aw shut it! You say bad words all the time!"

"…Um… yeah… That's different!"

"How?!"

"Because!"

"Because…?!"

"…Ok! You win! You can swear! Just don't do it in front of your parents, it would break them to pieces to hear 'their little girl' curse like a sailor."

"Toph: one, Naruto: _zero_!" said Toph before she started to gloat.

"Congratulations, Toph-sama! You've learned how to add numbers!"

"…Ouch…"

"And so the score is evened out! Shall we continue this or will we be going out to look for clothing for you?"

Toph smacked him in the back of the head again, "We're blind you idiot!"

"Right! Now… who the hell is going to help us buy the clothing you need. There's a match coming soon…"

"We have to find somebody quick before my name goes from 'The Blind Boulder' to 'The Blind Clown'!"

"…Personally, both names suck. If anything, I'd say that the name 'The Blind Bandit' suits you more. It's also catchy and more mysterious."

"Yeah, yeah. So, what's the plan for my costume?"

Naruto shrugged.

"I'm still waiting…" said Toph, impatiently.

She couldn't 'see' people nod their heads or shrug.

Naruto sighed, "I'll think of something…"

"Ya know, even if you do find something, that doesn't mean that I'll like you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way…"

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

(_Outside the Village, Onboard a Ship_)

"Captain, the town is in sight, our catapults have been set. We're prepared to send our forces in. They won't know what hit them sir." said a crewmate to the captain.

"Excellent, soon, the Fire Nation will have the richest town in the Earth Kingdom under its thumb. Fire Lord Ozai will be pleased…" said the captain.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

There was a loud crashing sound.

"What the hell was that?!" yelled Toph.

"If I had to guess, I'd say that something just blasted down the wall surrounding the town." said Naruto.

"How are you so calm?! We're being attacked!"

"Try not to think about it as the Fire Nation attacking _us_ but, rather, the Fire Nation attacking _them_. You're my responsibility, Toph-sama. Until they come to attack us, I'll leave it in the capable hands of the village militia and occasional, brave Earth Bender."

"You're just going to stand there while innocent people are hurt?!"

"…When you put it that way…"

"Yes…?"

"I still won't do it."

"Why?!"

"If I diverted attention to them, you could be captured… or worse…"

"Quit your worrying, stop standing there, and do something!"

Naruto's mind flashed back to Ba Sing Se, when he and his two friends were attacked by Fire Nation soldiers during their siege of the walls.

(_Flashback_)

Isaribi was knocked off the wall, the dust at the bottom clouded her figure from view.

For a few seconds, Naruto didn't move…

The sickening sound of a knife cutting flesh made him whirl around. Though he couldn't see it, he could feel Deidara in pain from taking the shot.

"N-Naruto… Quit standing around! We've got a job to do!" he yelled before tossing the Fire Nation soldier off the wall and pressing the attack.

(_End Flashback_)

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Sir, the town has a poor resistance. It will fall soon." said the crewmember to the captain.

"Excellent-" the captain was cut off by a large crashing sound. "What was that?"

"I-I don't know, sir! I'll check it out right away, sir!" the crewmember ran on deck.

Minutes later a scream was heard.

The captain rushed topside to see what was happening, all his crew was dead and the other two ships that had accompanied them were destroyed.

There, in the center of his dead crew, stood a boy no older than eight. He took the blindfold he was wearing and pushed it to his forehead.

"Sun's up…" the Captain collapsed, "And you're down."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"The walls of the town are in ruins and our militia and guards have suffered greatly from this! How are we going to make it out?" yelled a member of the town council.

The Bei Fong family was present, as were other wealthy or influential members of the town.

"I propose an idea." said Naruto from his position on the ceiling.

All those present suddenly jumped in terror at the newfound voice.

"Get down from there, kid! Are you trying to fall?" questioned a council member.

"I assure you," said Naruto as he got into the position of standing upside down, "I will not fall. Now, my idea is rather simple… The Bei Fong family is extremely wealthy, the wealthiest in the family in the Earth Kingdom, they have more than enough cash to pay for the damages done to this town. In addition, I have a large supply of gold to assist in this endeavor. After the repairs are done, I propose a superior training for militia and the building of a dock and navy. This would make Fire Nation invasions in the future fail much more swiftly. Had I not taken out those ships, we would have lost this town easily." said Naruto.

"You're eight years old!" yelled another council member.

"Your point being…?"

"The kid's got the right idea. I don't think he took out those ships, but, he knows what he's talking about. We need to defend this town." said a random member of the council.

There were discussions that soon followed.

"While we're at it, I'd suggest constructing some towers as well. It would give us a good bird's eye view of things to help alert us of oncoming Fire Nation soldiers and ships." said Naruto.

"You thought this through, didn't you." said Chún, Toph's mother.

"Hai. I knew that the Fire Nation would attack sometime, so, I made plans beforehand. Though, I originally intended on waiting a bit longer to see what their intentions were for striking… but... Your daughter steered me off that path. I've got to admit, she's pretty influential when she wants to be." whispered back Naruto.

Her eyes widened for a second before she shook her head, "No… There's no way that Toph is _that_ influential. She can't even get her teacher to move her on to the higher exercises."

"You'd be surprised, Bei Fong-sama… You'd be surprised…"

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

That's it for chapter V. Pretty short; half the length of my normal chapters, but, it'll do…

Anyway… that's not the point.

See, I've got this poll on my Homepage and I want _your_ opinion on which of my stories I should start next.

I'll be seeing you!

Later!

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_


	7. VI: Evil's Favorite Number is 6

**Just responding to some reviews: **

Elemental Dragon Swordsman: Eventually, Toph's parents will see what she's really like. However, they will remain overprotective.

I really hope that answered your questions.

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Chapter 6: 

Evil's Favorite Number is 6

(_6 Years Later_)

"So 'Blind Bandit', ready to make muscle men cry?" asked Naruto.

"You know it!" said Toph with a grin.

"Because, only a muscle man can do something like that, right?"

Toph blinked a few times and wore a confused look before she processed Naruto's words…

She whacked him in the back of the head.

"You idiot! I'm not a guy!" yelled Toph.

"But you act so much like one!"

Toph cracked her knuckles and closed her eyes as she turned to Naruto.

"Kowaii (Scary)…" mumbled Naruto.

"What was that?" asked Toph, preparing to deliver punishing blows to the back of Naruto's head.

"I said Kawaii, you know, cute?"

The sound of a fist whacking somebody in the face resounded through the cavern.

"You think I'm cute when I'm angry?! You're just asking for it now…"

"Ano (Um)… Don't you think you should be getting prepared for the upcoming match?" asked Naruto, quickly changing the subject so as to avoid being beaten to death.

"Oh, right!"

Toph ran into the other room and prepared herself.

'_Now, all I've got to do is head to the stands and watch the fireworks…_' thought Naruto as he smirked before scowling '_But… what was that I saw when she blinked… There's no doubt in my mind… that's exactly what they have to be. I've seen one on her upper back as well. It's the only explanation. I'd better save this for later, though…_'

Naruto ran into the stands wearing as much clothing as possible.

He still wore all black. A hood on his head and his Hitai-ate was, once again, serving as a blind fold. He was wearing a mask on his face that covered his cheeks and mouth perfectly. There was no gap between his mask and Hitai-ate. He wore a pair of metal-plated gloves and the sleeves of his large jacket covered his wrists. His pants were pitch-black, going down to his ankles and were tied onto his legs in some places with weighted, dark grey bandages. A sash-like belt went from his right shoulder down and around to his left before looping around, it served t hold his sword in place. He was wearing a pair of steel shin guards and boots. His belt was slightly tilted and remained almost totally covered by his jacket.

Naruto walked into the stands and took his usual seat in the front, awaiting the pain Toph would deliver to the other competitors.

He heard a few steps to his left and slightly craned his head in the direction where he heard the footsteps.

Odd… It wasn't commonplace for somebody to sit in the front row; else they have the wish to die by being crushed by stray boulders from the participants of the fight… Very odd indeed…

"Excuse me," asked a girl who sounded like she was about his age, "Do you mind if we sit here?"

Naruto took a slight sniff of the air… it was… damp…

'_Water Bender?_' he thought as his eyes widened a fraction beneath his Hitai-ate, "No, I don't mind at all. It isn't often that I get company up here." said Naruto politely.

"Hey thanks, man." said another person.

'_Male, I'd guess fifteen. Judging by the vocal patterns of his speech, I'd say his sister was just talking to me. So, they're both from the water tribe. Can't be north since they don't leave for fear of Fire Benders, can't be South, all of their Benders went away years ago… Eh, it's a mystery for another day._' thought Naruto, "No problem, no problem at all." he said kindly.

"So… Um… are you… like…" started their third companion.

"No. I'm not blind. I just prefer others don't see my eyes. Honestly, it's complicated." said Naruto with a shrug. On the inside, however, he thought '_The air around this kid is so clean… He sounds like he's about Toph's age. So, the kid's twelve years old, but… His heart beat is slightly irregular, almost like it's trying to catch up with time itself. He also sounds very free-spirited and has an air of confidence and hope around him. That doesn't explain why the air around him is so clean, though…_'

Before Naruto could continue his thoughts on the subject, the first match began.

"I am Xin Fu, your host for tonight's competition! Welcome to… Earth… Rumble… SIX!" he yelled out dramatically.

Cheering resounded from the crowd.

Naruto winced slightly from the volume before hearing the older boy next to him start cheering as well. Naruto sighed.

"Say, I never got your names…" he started.

"My name is Katara," said the girl, "This is Sokka, my brother," she gestured towards the older boy, "And this is our friend, Aang." she finished, gesturing towards the twelve-year-old.

Naruto nodded, "My name's Naruto."

"In the left corner, we have 'The Boulder'! In our right corner, we have… The Hippo!" called out Xin Fu.

"So, Aang, you think that the Boulder would be a good teacher?" asked Katara.

"Nah, I need to find a teacher that 'Listens to the earth'." he replied.

'_Listens to the earth… Could he be talking about Toph-sama?!_' thought Naruto frantically as his head tilted slightly towards Aang.

One by one, the Boulder defeated each of his opponents.

"Next up is the Blind Bandit. This guy stands no chance against her." said Naruto.

"Her?" asked Aang.

"Oh yeah, she's only twelve years old and she's come close to killing guys even better than the Boulder. He's doomed." said Naruto.

"You don't have to be so pessimistic about it."

"I feel I must. Besides, I'm so good at it…" Naruto ended.

Though the three others couldn't see it, they just knew that he was smirking.

"Oh look. The match is starting." said Naruto, pointing to the center of the arena.

"Now for the match you've all been waiting for… The Boulder versus… THE BLIND BANDIT!" called out Xin Fu.

Katara's eyes bugged out when she saw the little girl at the other side of the larger, muscular Boulder.

"She's not really blind, is she?" asked Katara.

"I think she is…" said Aang in awe.

"You're right. She's completely blind… or… so you'd think." said Naruto, cryptically.

"What?"

"What 'what'? What I said will be a mystery solved if you ever see her. Though, it's doubtful-"

Naruto was interrupted by the Boulder's scream before The Blind Bandit knocked him out of the arena.

"Your champion… The Blind Bandit! Now, I am willing to offer up this bag of gold pieces to whoever can defeat the Blind Bandit! Anyone?!" there was silence.

"I'm gonna go talk to her." said Aang.

Naruto's eyes widened when Aang jumped onto the stage.

"I'll do it!" called Aang. '_How hard could getting her to understand me be?_'

Naruto sighed, "That kid, Aang… He's an Air Bender, isn't he?"

Katara and Sokka's eyes widened.

"How'd you know that? Are you some kind of Fire Nation spy?" hissed Sokka as he reached for his boomerang.

"No. It's just… Aang jumped pretty high and the air around him smelled too clean. Fire Benders have an ash-like smell around them; Earth Benders have a soil-like smell around them; Water Benders have a damp, watery scent around them. I suppose that Air Benders normally have a clean smell around them. If she's facing an Air Bender… after my training…He'll stand no chance at all…Even if he _is_ the Avatar." said Naruto.

"How did you know Aang was the Avatar?!" Katara almost shouted.

"Because, an Air Bender has been confirmed as being the Avatar… I know for a fact that I can only bend _one_ element."

Before Sokka and Katara could delve further into what Naruto meant, Toph kicked a large boulder towards Aang.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Toph heard her opponent make light contact with the ground.

…_Very_ light contact…

'…_An Air Bender?! I thought Naruto was the last Air Bender. No… If he was the Last Air Bender then he would have to be the Avatar and be over a hundred years old. He would have been raised by peace-loving monks… He said he was an orphan that was constantly attacked and beaten. If he wasn't the Avatar, then that means that this kid in front of me __is__ the Avatar. I'll have to use __that__ technique if I want to stand a chance…_' thought Toph.

(_Flashback_)

A nine year old Toph stood in front of Naruto. Her head was high and she had just won the Earth Rumble tournament again.

"Great job, Toph-sama." congratulated Naruto.

"Thanks, I try…" said Toph, faking modesty.

"Well, you succeed… against Earth Benders… Today, I'm going to teach you how to fight against different kinds of Benders. We're going to start with Air Benders." said Naruto.

"Air Benders? I thought they were extinct!" laughed Toph.

"I'm alive, aren't I? True, I was a fluke and unforeseen occurrence by nature. But, that doesn't mean that all the Air Benders are gone. I guarantee that you will one day have to fight an opponent that sticks to the air."

"Well, what do I do then?"

"Echo Location."

"Huh?"

"Bats and other animals that live in dark places will sometimes develop the ability to see through sound. They make a noise, like a click or a whistle, and then the sound they create vibrates off all sorts of objects. The sound comes back to them, and they know their surroundings. I do a similar thing. When something near me makes a sound, I use that sound's echo to help me see. I'm going to teach you to see through sound."

"How are you going to do that?!"

"Easy. Hum a song while I throw rocks at you as I'm flying around!" said Naruto with a cheery voice.

(_End Flashback_)

'_Sadistic bastard… But… I can't really argue with the results._' thought Toph as she kicked earth in Aang's direction.

He jumped over it just as Toph hummed a song…

(_Flashback_)

Naruto sat next to Toph as he bandaged her.

"Obviously, you didn't choose the right song." said Naruto.

"Right song?! What do you mean 'Right Song'?!" shouted Toph.

"Bats screech, some animals click. I don't have a song I feel expresses me properly, but, I'm sure you do." replied Naruto.

"So, what you're saying is that everyone and everything needs to make a specific noise for this to work? So, I just need to find a song I really like and hum it, then I'll get the hang of it… right?" asked Toph.

"Hai."

(_End Flashback_)

So Toph began to hum…

As Aang jumped in the air to avoid the boulder, another cam in his direction… He barely avoided it.

"I just want to talk to you!" yelled Aang.

"What? Are you scared, Twinkle-toes?!" yelled back the Blind Bandit.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Katara's eyes widened as she got up and looked at Aang desperately. She was about to jump in when Naruto suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Don't. That kid needs to learn a lesson from this experience, I believe this is the way for this lesson to be learned." said Naruto, "If things are looking really bad, I'll intervene. But, I'll tell you right now, her goal is to knock Aang out… not kill him."

Katara shakily nodded.

"Are you kidding?! Katara, I don't know about you, but I'm helping Aang." said Sokka as he reached for his boomerang.

He froze when he felt something touching his side. His eyes slowly moved down and saw a knife on his abdomen, poised to maim him.

"I have no intention of harming you, but, intervening now would do more harm than good. Please sit down." said Naruto in a cold, calm voice.

Sokka nodded in the same fashion as his sister.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Aang jumped over another rock only to have a smaller one speed at him and hit him in the stomach. Aang fell, having lost control and grabbed the edge of the arena.

Toph shifted her foot just enough for a small pillar of earth to hit Aang in the head and knock him out. He lost his grip and fell out of the arena.

The crowd cheered.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Now you can go get him." said Naruto, putting his kunai back.

Katara and Sokka ran to Aang. Naruto jumped down and joined the Blind Bandit, Toph as she left.

"Did you have to be so harsh on the kid?" asked Naruto.

"Eh, he needed it." said Toph.

"He's looking for an Earth Bending teacher."

"He can have the cheapskate that's keeping me on those basic exercises all the time."

"His sensei needs to be able to 'Listen to the earth'."

"…"

"I only know one Earth Bender who can do that, _Toph_."

"…Damn it. He wants me to teach him, doesn't he?"

"Hai."

"Well shit…"

"He's only going to seek you out now that you've beaten him."

"He won't find me."

"He's the Avatar, the bridge of the spirit world and living world, the master of four elements, he needs an Earth Bending teacher that 'Listens to the earth', his friends don't like you, and you don't think he'll find you?"

"…"

"I _really_ hope that you learn a lesson from the end of this experience."

"You worry too much."

Naruto sighed, "Sometimes, I don't think I worry enough…"

"Oh, and Naruto…"

"Hai?"

"…Thanks." Toph said before punching his shoulder.

"For what?"

"The whole Echo Location thing…"

"Ah… speaking of… what _was_ your song? You've never told me and I couldn't hear over the cheering crowd."

"I know a song that's the same in every verse, the same in every verse, the same in every verse!" sang Toph.

"No way…"

"I know a song…"

"Please stop."

"I'm not telling you. How's that?"

"I'll guess then."

"You'll never get it…" said Toph in a sing-song voice.

"Kimi ga Tame."

"…I still don't like you."

There was an awkward pause…

Followed by the cry of 'Bastard' and the sound of a fist hitting the back of somebody's head…

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"I'm telling you, Toph. They're going to find you." said Naruto.

"Yeah right!" called Toph.

"So, your name is Toph? My name is Aang, and I'm the Avatar." said the twelve-year-old, coming out from behind a bush.

"I told you so." said Naruto.

Toph swung her fist around and whacked Naruto in the back of the head.

"Jerk!" she hissed.

"You two know each other?!" said Sokka.

"Ano… Hai. I already said that I'm the one who taught her." said Naruto.

"You taught her how to Earth Bend?" asked Katara.

"Oh, hell no, I bend the opposite element. I taught Toph how to see her opponents at all times, even when they're in the air. I sparred with her to help better her abilities. But, I didn't teach her how to Earth Bend, she learned by playing with Badgermoles." said Naruto.

"You're kidding, right?" asked Sokka.

"Nope."

"So, Toph. Will you be my Earth Bending teacher?" asked Aang.

"Look, I don't know how you've found me, but you can forget It." said Toph.

"Toph-sama. Let's not get to hasty here; going with the Avatar could really help us, especially with your dream. Besides, they seem smart… enough… If it really bothers you that much, I'll come with you." said Naruto with a shrug.

"Them? Smart? Yeah right. I bet that they can't even figure out what element you can bend!" she called out.

"That's a pretty good idea, Toph. But, honestly, that sounds like something for a later date. How about this… We-"

"Say no and leave it at that." ended Toph.

"But-"

"Leave it!" shouted Toph.

There was the sound of footsteps as the guards approached. Aang and his friends' eyes widened as they ran behind a bush.

"Toph! Are you alright?" asked one of the guards.

"Yeah… I'm fine. I just thought I heard something." said Toph, timidly.

'_Nice acting…_' thought Naruto before he turned to the guards, "Yeah… don't worry. There's nothing around for miles. She's fine, I'm here, aren't I?" asked Naruto.

The guards looked at each other before shrugging and walking away.

"…You three really should go." said Naruto, "Toph-sama isn't interested and I won't be able to do that next time the guards appear."

Aang frowned and looked at Sokka and Katara for a second.

"We're not giving up." said Aang.

"Alright, have it your way." said Naruto before the Avatar and his friends left.

When he was certain that they were gone, Naruto turned to Toph.

"You really want to go with them, don't you?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah, but… My parents… they'll never let me leave." said Toph, hanging her head.

Naruto gave a small smile, "Mou mou (Expression, it's sort of like saying 'eh' or 'un', involuntary speech)… Cheer up. I'm sure we'll be able to travel the world one day. Just leave it to me."

Toph gave a slight smile, "Thanks Naruto."

"I try."

"Well, you succeed."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Naruto snickered as Toph hit Aang with another pillar of earth. When Aang failed the first time, he tried again as a formal affair, requesting permission from Toph's parents to bring her along.

Naruto ducked when Aang 'sneezed' and blew the plates on the table into the faces of both Toph and her parents. Naruto slowly brought his head up to check if it was safe when Toph suddenly smacked him in the back of the head.

Naruto sighed as she went to wash herself off.

"I'm going with her…" said Naruto as he got up and followed Toph.

Aang had a look of concern.

When Toph washed and dried herself off, she walked outside.

"Thinking?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah." replied Toph.

"It's awful, isn't it? To have freedom right there but unable to grasp it… like taking a fish and waving it around in front of a cat in a cage."

"There's no way my parents are going to let me leave…" said Toph, dejected.

"Maybe I could help, I _am_ the Avatar." said Aang, coming from behind a tree.

"I doubt that. Toph's parents are so overprotective that it's frightening. I've got a plan… don't worry about it. But, it'll only work… I'll only be able to show Toph-sama's parents reason if I get the chance. Your presence will be a help, but, I'm not sure how much of a help it really will be." said Naruto.

"I sort of get it…" said Aang before turning his head towards Toph, "So, how are you so good at walking around and stuff?" he asked.

"I see through vibrations in the earth. As long as my feet are in contact with the ground, I know my surroundings almost as perfectly as Naruto." said Toph.

"How do you 'see' then?" asked Aang, pointing to Naruto.

"My senses of smell and hearing are so good that I use a form of Echo-Location. People and objects around me make sounds that vibrate off myself and back to them. I get a map-out of the area to a far greater degree than Toph-sama." said Naruto.

"That's neat." said Aang, amazed.

"But, my parents won't see it. All they see when they look at me is some helpless blind girl. They don't think I can go out and be a normal kid. They try to protect me… but…" trailed Toph.

"All they're doing is hindering her progress. Toph's dream is to become the greatest Earth Bender to ever live. But, she can't do that here. At the same time, she doesn't want to leave her parents. In my opinion, this is probably the saddest dilemma I've ever heard of…" finished Naruto.

"Hey, Naruto… what's up with you and Toph? Are you brother and sister or something?" asked Aang.

Toph turned green and the emotion of shock was radiating from Naruto.

"What the fuck?! Hell no! I'm her body guard. I've been her body guard since she was five!" shouted Naruto.

Aang turned red from embarrassment, hearing so many curses coming from the dark clad youth.

"You don't need to be so rude about it!" said Aang.

Toph suddenly perked up when she felt something.

"Hey, Naruto… did you…?" she started.

"Hai."

There was a large clicking noise as a massing claw-like object snatched Toph and Aang. Naruto's eyes widened as he reached for his sword only to suddenly freeze when he felt something strike the back of his neck. He collapsed.

"Good night… Black Wind…" spoke the man who knocked him out before he left with his comrades.

Naruto passed out.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

That's it for chapter 6.

Next time we'll go into detail of Naruto rescuing Toph and Aang. We'll also include the Toph vs. Earth Rumble 6 fighters.

Hope you enjoy it!

Now, I have a poll on my Homepage and it will close on New Years Day, January 1st. I'm giving you the opportunity to choose between the Top Four remaining stories. I'm giving you the choice to pick what story I'll introduce to Fanfiction next!

Here's your choices:

Thorns of the Black Rose: An FMA Bleach Crossover. Meet Elric Tokuru, accidental homunculi and the living kid with only half of a soul. The new, unwilling Pride… With his friends, he plans to infiltrate the Seireitei to discover his heritage... but most of all... He searches for his father...

Blue Eye, Black Moon, Red Vision: During the Sannin's first C-Rank mission, they meet a mysterious foe who captures Orochi's heart. During their first B-Rank, they are saved by the same shinobi. During their first A-Rank, they save him. Who is the man with the Black Mangekyou Eyes? FemOrochimaru X Naruto (Timetravel)

Red Dawn of Ishbala: Akatsuki, after activating their weapon prematurely, opens the Gate and are sent to Ishbal in their infant forms. As they grow, pieces of their past come together. When they see the Homonculi, what shall happen?

We Three Pranksters: Three siblings of separate mothers, born on the same night, a demon, broken and sealed within them. No matter what, they shall stay together and nobody can say a thing about it. They are the Uzumaki Siblings.

The votes are _really_ close. I really need to know your opinions on this. I promise you that one of these stories will become a smash hit.

Well, on that happy note…

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_


	8. VII: Luck, Fate, Checkmate!

**Just responding to some reviews: **

Trife: The story will follow the canon; however, there will be an incredible and unexpected twist.

Akira Stridder: Well the question of who KO'd Naruto is going to be answered in this chapter.

FumetsuKaji: The question about the eyes is going to be answered in the next chapter.

Elemental Dragon Swordman: Naruto will show his skills… just, not against the Earth Rumble fighters…

I really hope that answered your questions.

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Chapter 7: 

Luck, Fate, Checkmate!

There was a large splashing sound as Naruto suddenly got up. He was slightly cold… No, wait… He was soaking wet. Naruto sighed.

"Was that really necessary?" he asked.

"Yes." replied Katara and Sokka.

"Where's Toph-sama?" asked Naruto.

"We don't know! We thought you would." said Toph's mother.

"Well, I don't." said Naruto.

Sokka looked down and picked something up.

"A note…" he trailed.

"Toph and Aang were most likely kidnapped," said Naruto, "This is probably the ransom note."

"Ransom?!" Sokka and Katara almost shouted.

"Hai. The note says what they want for the safe return of Toph-sama and Aang-san."

"No way…" started Sokka.

"Hai, I know. It is probably unbelievable-" began Naruto before he was cut off by Sokka.

"I got the Boulder's autograph!" shouted Sokka.

Naruto sighed, walked over to Sokka, and hit him in the back of the head.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" shouted Sokka at him.

"For not taking this seriously! For the first time in several years, I'm nowhere near Toph-sama. While there's no doubt in my mind that she can capably defend herself, I won't be around if things get too dangerous for her!" shouted Naruto at Sokka.

For lack of a better term, Naruto was pissed.

"What's their ransom?" asked Naruto, trying to calm down.

"Well, they want two things. The bag of gold that Toph won and something called 'The Black Wind'. Any idea what that is?" asked Katara.

Naruto hung his head as he spoke softly, "…So… This is my fault, then…"

"What do you mean?" asked Sokka.

"…Just that… I meant what I said. This is my fault. And this is my fight… after Toph-sama beats a few of them." said Naruto.

Naruto got up and started to run to his room.

"You go to the meeting place, I'll follow you." yelled Naruto as he ran into the estate, the sound of a door closing resounded through the area.

"What do you think he's doing?" asked Katara.

Sokka shrugged.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Beneath his mask, Naruto was grinning insanely. He was taking shuriken and kunai and putting them on his belt or hiding them in his cloak. His sword was strapped to his back, just sharpened. Finally, he had several smoke and flash bombs. Finally, he was muttering incoherent threats and violent words in Japanese. If one listened closely enough, they could probably translate what he said into this:

"I'll fucking kill those fucking Ho-teme (Fire Bastards) for kidnapping Toph-sama."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Meanwhile somewhere far away…

"Did you hear something explode?" asked Aang to Toph.

"It's probably Naruto. This is the first time somebody's actually captured me like this, so he's probably pissed right now." replied Toph.

"He's that good?"

"Oh yeah, there isn't a body guard like him. He's actually the only person to see me for who I really am."

"…So… Why does he call you Toph-sama?"

"He comes from this culture that speaks a different language called Japanese. From what I get, his culture is solely based on extreme respect. 'Sama' is an honorific."

"Honorific?"

"It's something that he'll add to the end of people's names. He calls a person 'San' when he doesn't really know that person, 'Kun' for little kids that he's fond of, 'Sama' for people he respects or should respect highly, 'Dono' for teachers, and 'Chan' for girls he's known or liked for a long time. Little kids are also called 'Chan', sometimes."

"Sounds complicated."

"To quote a friend, 'It's easier than it sounds.' Naruto told me that."

"You really like him, don't you?"

"Yeah. He's a great guy… despite his… um…"

"His what?"

"The first time I met Naruto, he was seven years old and I was five. He killed somebody."

Aang's eyes went wide, "He what?!"

"He did it in self-defense," defended Toph, waving her hands around, "And we all know that. But, he can kill a lot of people really easily. The way he sees it is that if somebody is threatening himself or somebody he finds close to him, he'll eliminate the threat."

"He'll just kill them!"

"No. Not always. He usually tries talking to them first. He tries to talk them out of it then he follows up with something he calls 'psychological warfare'. He messes with their heads."

"That's pretty creepy. And you let him near you?"

"Why not? He's a nice enough guy."

"So, if he shows up, will he kill all these people?"

"No. He'll leave the Earth Rumble fighters to me. These other guys… They're his."

"Any idea why they called him the 'Black Wind'?"

"Nope. He's been pretty secretive in all the time that I've known him. But, from what I understand, it's probably best I don't know everything about him just yet."

"What do you mean by that?"

"His past isn't a nice one. He was attacked and beaten until he was five years old and ran away. I, honestly, don't want to find out too much more about his past. That alone was enough to almost make me cry… almost."

"Harsh…"

"Yeah…"

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Katara, Sokka, Toph's father, and Toph's 'teacher' stood in front of two men. One was Xin Fu, the man who ran the tournament.

The other was a person who was wearing a strange helmet that covered his entire head. There was only one hole on the entire helmet that was shaped like a three pointed star, an almost Y-shape that allowed his glowing, red eyes to be seen and allowed him to breath from his nose. Aside from the helmet, he wore stereotypical Earth Kingdom colors. He was sleeveless and wore bandages on his arms. He wasn't wearing shoes and his toes had nails that were almost claw-like in appearance. He had a shield strapped to his back, almost like a turtle shell, and was wearing a necklace of long, sharp teeth.

"First, I want the gold." demanded Xin Fu.

Sokka was quick to toss it to him.

"Now, _we _want the Black Wind…" spoke the man in the helmet.

It was like three people were talking at once. One voice was deep, dark, and malevolent. Another was high pitched and, irritating, and above-all creepy, almost like nails on a chalk board. The third was normal enough, but had a large hint of insanity to it.

"What's the Black Wind?" asked Sokka, a little freaked out by the imposing figure's voice.

"The Black Wind is merely an alias, a pseudonym, a fake name that was made to protect the identity of its creator and-or user. I believe you know its user as… Naruto Uzumaki…"

"Naruto?" asked Katara.

"Yes… A few years ago, the Black Wind, Naruto, went throughout the Earth Kingdom. He would destroy Fire Nation encampments, free slaves and prisoners of war, and he would destroy small criminal organizations… though he failed to do so with _my_ organization. I created a small group of people who were shunned from the public eye for their beliefs. We are the only shadow benders in the world! But, that fool tried to defeat us… simply for our… alliances…" spoke the man.

"…You were with the Fire Nation." said Sokka, reaching for his boomerang.

"Ah… How _Perceptive_ of you… The Fire Nation offers many things, especially for loyalty. You know, because we joined so willingly, we're constantly informed of events in the Fire Nation. In addition, we constantly inform them of things. Did you know that Naruto's bounty in the Fire Nation is currently over five _thousand_ gold pieces? That's only a hundred short of the Avatar's head." said the man… it was like he was talking about the weather, in his distorted voice.

The group that had come to rescue Toph and Aang were looking at the man with wide eyes.

"So… where is he?" asked the man, sounding impatient as he tapped his foot.

"He's not here." said Sokka, his boomerang out and ready.

Katara looked ready to Water Bend from the small water canister on the pouch on her right hip.

"Oh, in that case… Xin Fu, they gave you the necessary gold so you can let the little blind girl out. The Avatar is still ours, we'll split the bounty and call it a night." said the man before Sokka threw his boomerang at him.

The man's fingers twitched… and the group was shocked when a shadow nearby actually came up and knocked the boomerang away.

Xin Fu gave the order to let Toph free and she was let out of her metal case.

"I'm going to go to the stands and watch this… I know it'll be fun." said the man.

"Who are you, anyway?!" yelled Sokka.

"Call me… Vicis (Latin: Time)." said the high-pitched voice.

"Call me… Sepulchrum (Latin: Gravity)." said the deep voice.

"Call me… Umbra (Latin: Shadow)." said the deranged, yet, most normal voice.

"Call us… Nex (Latin: Death)." said the three voices at once.

The man… Nex… walked into the seats and watched from the middle row as Toph fought the Earth Rumble fighters.

"Soon… very soon, I'll have my revenge and master Koh will have his fill, you'll both help me with that." said 'Umbra'.

"Yes…" replied both 'Sepulchrum' and 'Vicis' at the same time.

It was… eerie.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Naruto sighed as he walked through the doors and into the stadium, not that anyone inside knew that he was there. He quickly ran into the stands and used a Henge on himself to look like just another bench. They had no idea he was there…

He slowly brought his eyes over the seat and looked to the other side of the stadium at somebody who he thought was dead… long dead…

(_Flashback_)

Naruto was six years old and trudging through the desert, yet again. His most recent hideout had been destroyed by Buzzard-wasps. He felt his foot crunch on some sand that had begun to frost over from the low temperatures. You see, the sun was the only source of heat in the desert during the day, at night; parts of the desert could end up becoming so cold that it would frost over for a brief period of time. If not for Naruto's incredible survival capabilities, the temperatures may have slowed him down and caused him to ultimately freeze to death.

Naruto sighed and shook his head before he turned his Hitai-ate up, it was night. He could see properly and didn't have to use the sound of his feet making contact with the sand to see anymore.

That's when he saw it, a small camp. It was a miniature village. Naruto grinned and ran towards it… only to trip and black out.

He woke up about an hour later in a cage.

He looked around and saw there were others in a similar condition as Naruto. Sand Benders, Earth Benders… and a pair of rogue Fire Nation members, one male the other female.

"Where am I?" asked Naruto, replacing his Hitai-ate.

"You're in the lair of the Shadow Benders." said the Fire Nation girl.

"Shadow Benders?" asked Naruto, unsure if he heard correctly.

"Yeah, Shadow Benders are one of the lost tribes. See, about a thousand years ago, there was a monster that pillaged a land of Air Benders who went against the beliefs of the rest of their group. They were pure evil. The Demon came upon them in a bad time, they were starving and they tricked him into thinking that they too were innocent. The Demon, pitying them, decided to grant them one thing to assist them in survival. The leader of one group wanted control over gravity. The leader of another group wanted control over time. But, the final group wished for control over shadows. The Demon obliged and was quickly betrayed.

"Enraged, the Demon struck them all down. He wiped them all out and sealed these new elements into two spirits. Only the Shadow Benders survived and escaped him. In honor of this Demon of light and blood, the nations of Water, Fire, Earth, and Air constructed temples all over the world. They say that if the conditions of the environment match the element of Kyuubi that the temple was made for, you will be spirited away to a new world… a place of legend." said a Sand Bender.

"But these temples only work once," said a man outside of the cage.

Naruto spun his head around and looked at the man who spoke.

He had short, black hair that ended at his shoulders. His eyes were red and his skin was pale. He wore stereotypical Earth Kingdom colors. He was sleeveless and wore bandages on his arms. He wasn't wearing shoes and his toes had nails that were almost claw-like in appearance. He had a shield strapped to his back, almost like a turtle shell, and was wearing a necklace of long, sharp teeth.

"After their use, they're destroyed on both sides. I've been trying to rip open a portal from one of these statues that would last forever, allowing anyone to crossover from either side. But, I've failed miserably so far. The test subjects have always ended up turning to mush and fusing with the floor of the temple. Not a pretty sight. My name is Umbra, by the way…" continued the man.

"How many of you 'Shadow Benders' are there?" asked Naruto.

"A dozen. The Kyuubi did an excellent job of hindering our progress in this world. Most of the men in our tribe are sterile and the women who give birth have revealed Shadow Bending to be a hyper-recessive trait. This means that we will soon die out. However, I've discovered that the people of the other world can give birth to Shadow Bending. We won't survive here, but we have a chance there-" the man suddenly stopped as he looked at Naruto's Hitai-Ate, "Boy… where did you get this?"

"I've had it." said Naruto, reaching for his sword.

He paused… it was gone. It was probably taken from his while he was knocked out.

"Looking for this?" asked the man as he so carelessly took the sword and taped one of the bars of the cage with it, "I'll ask again. Where did you get that headband?"

Naruto responded with three words…

"Screw you, Teme."

Naruto gave Umbra the One-fingered salute.

Umbra simply responded by punching Naruto in the face before controlling a tendril of shadow to impale his torso. Naruto spat out a glob of blood, his jaw felt like it was broken. What's worse, he had just doubled over in pain and found it difficult to stand.

Umbra grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him against the bars. The bone sword was poised at Naruto's throat.

"Where did you acquire the symbol of the Leaf?!" shouted Umbra, "Unless…"

Realization suddenly dawned on him.

"You're a shinobi… a shinobi of the other world. You actually crossed over through the use of one of the temples." he said.

Naruto smirked and brought up his hand to his Hitai-Ate before suddenly pulling it up and glaring into the equally red eyes of Umbra.

"Die." spoke Naruto as Umbra screamed and fell backwards.

Naruto quickly grabbed his sword from between the bars, ignoring the cut he had just received from the action, and slashed through the metal allowing entrance into the center of the cave under the village.

The Benders who escaped were quick to react and immediately struck out at the other Shadow Benders in the cave.

Naruto ran to collect his weapons. Just as he had strapped on the last kunai he heard something.

"_You_…" spoke Umbra as he dragged himself off the floor, panting, "You will die!" he screamed, charging forwards.

Several tendrils of shadow came at Naruto only for him to suddenly call out, "Kagebunshin no jutsu!"

A dozen copies of him suddenly appeared…

"Yes! Show me your power! Let me see the strength of a shinobi!" yelled Umbra, swinging his arms madly in an attempt to have a shadow tentacle strike and tear the flesh off of Naruto.

The Tentacle struck several of the clones causing smoke to cloud his vision.

Suddenly, he felt a devastating strike to his stomach.

"U!" shouted the attacker, also clouding his vision with a puff of smoke.

He felt a similar strike to his back, his spine.

"Zu!"

A knee to the chin knocked him up higher.

"Ma!"

A punch to the back of the head put him near unconsciousness, hitting him up higher.

"Ki!"

Suddenly the smoke cleared and Naruto came down with his had back, pulling it forward. There was a spinning, glowing orb of energy in his palm…

'_So Beautiful…_' thought Umbra even as the sphere struck him in the face.

"Uzumaki Naruto: Rasengan Rendan!" he shouted.

Another Naruto leaped from the ground and struck the back of Umbra's head with in a similar style as the Naruto coming down.

His head exploded in a gory mess, half of his body was torn to shreds.

(_End Flashback_)

Naruto took out a kunai and gripped it tightly…

How did that son of a bitch survive a pair of Rasengan to the head, a strike to the spine, and being buried by the sand from the village above after the Shadow Benders were finally defeated?

How…?

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Toph didn't look even remotely winded, even after she had defeated all the Earth Rumble fighters.

"Well, well, well… it seems that the others have fallen. The pawns may be gone, but…" Nex began as he walked to the center of the arena.

There was a pause followed by the insane voice, Umbra, "I have yet to be put in check!"

"Oh well… since the Black Wind hasn't shown himself, I suppose that we'll have to remove some pieces from this battle of chess we call life." said Nex as he turned his head towards Toph and the others.

A slight whistling noise caught Toph's attention as a kunai struck Nex in the back of his helmet, making a large clanging sound.

The high pitch voice screamed and the low pitched voice roared as the insane voice shouted for the Black Wind's blood.

"Oi! You want me? Come and get me!" shouted Naruto as he threw another kunai with similar results.

Naruto jumped into the stadium.

"Toph-sama, I'll fight this one. You _really_ should go. Same goes for anyone with weak stomachs…" said Naruto loudly.

"So… I finally get to see you again… after so long…" said the voice of Umbra.

"Koh wants you… He wants vengeance for your tenant's deeds." said the deep voice, Sepulchrum.

"We want you for borrowed vengeance. You will pay for yours and Kyuubi's deeds!" shouted the High-pitched voice, Vicis.

"This… This is Checkmate, Black King of the Wind!" shouted the three voices together.

"I already know I'm not going to like this…" said Naruto, readying his sword.

Nex charged, his claw-like toenails making slight indentations in the ground.

Tendrils of shadow followed him…

Naruto took his sword in both hands and charged.

A burst of smoke followed him…

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

The end of Lucky number 7…

Final week of voting people!

Don't forget, I'll also be releasing a Predator/Bleach Crossover called Hunter 80.

Here's the summary:

200 years ago, a Yautja, a Predator ship crash landed in Antarctica before partially collapsing in the water and becoming covered in snow. A newborn predator dies from hypothermia and is sent to Soul Society. Now he stalks the worst districts of the Seireitei, hunting its criminals and showing no mercy…

I really hope you like it; it'll be one of my best stories if people actually bother reading it. Now, seeing as how it's the last night of Hanukah, I've decided to give you all, a gift.

The current pole results are…

We Three Pranksters: Shodaime

Blue Eye, Black Moon, Red Vision: Nidaime

Red Dawn of Ishbala: Sandaime

Thorns of the Black Rose: Yondaime

Happy Holidays!

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_


	9. VIII: Killing Time

**Just responding to some reviews:**

Selonianth: Shodaime (first), Nidaime (second), Sandaime (third), Yondaime (fourth).

Trife: Nex survived by making a deal with Koh. It's complicated and will be answered fully throughout the story.

I really hope that answered your questions.

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Chapter 8: 

Killing Time

"This… This is Checkmate, Black King of the Wind!" shouted the three voices together.

"I already know I'm not going to like this…" said Naruto, readying his sword.

Nex charged, his claw-like toenails making slight indentations in the ground.

Tendrils of shadow followed him…

Naruto took his sword in both hands and charged.

A burst of smoke followed him…

Naruto's sword clanged against Nex's 'talons' as he raised his right foot to block. Nex quickly brought his left arm up in a slashing motion.

Naruto seemed to begin floating before Nex's right arm came down and slammed Naruto into the ground.

Naruto slowly got up.

"Like it? It's my ability of Gravity Bending," spoke the deep voice of Sepulchrum before the three voices continued their twisted, clashing melody, "By swinging our arms down or up, we can increase or decrease the weight of an object. We made you lighter than a feather, then heavier than the beast of Serpent's Pass!"

"That doesn't sound too good…" said Naruto, using his sword to balance.

He shook his head and stood tall.

"What else can you do?" asked Naruto, cautious.

Nex was smart. That much was apparent, but, even _he_ could make errors.

"I can manipulate time!" yelled the high pitched voice.

"How so?" asked Naruto, bracing himself.

"Like this!" yelled Vicis.

So Nex took a step forward and an afterimage followed him.

One after image after another followed Nex before Nex punched Naruto in the gut.

That Nex vanished in favor of the one behind him.

The Nex images followed the pattern until the original punched Naruto in the jaw, knocking him back.

"What… was that?" asked Naruto between breaths.

"Our after-images are solid and phase through us. What you just felt were some of the many attacks we could have done to you in that span of time! They get stronger with each hit, the original being the most powerful. I thought it would be easy when I saw you had a limp, but this is pathetic… even for you!" yelled Nex followed by his horrible laughing.

Naruto smirked and puffed away in a blast of white smoke.

"What the-?" started Nex before he felt a punishing blow to the back of his head, knocking off his helmet.

Everyone gasped… except for Toph and Naruto.

"What? What is it?" asked Toph.

"His face is all… twisted…" said Sokka.

Nex's head was a truly bizarre sight. His face seemed to have been spun and bent to the point of… something…

His left eye socket was filled with rows of sharp teeth. The tongue that came out had an eye on it. His mouth was partially morphed together by the lips, allowing only a few holes for sound. His nose was a pair of slits, one located above the other in a demented 'equal' sign. His right eye was shining red and seemed perpetually open as it was bloodshot. Each of his ears were also mouths that opened to reveal sharp teeth. They oozed a strange, black, puss-like substance. The skin of his head was wrinkled and stretched in some places, having the appearance of being spun around in some warped fashion. His forehead had a swirl shaped scar and his hair was nothing more than a single beard from his chin, coming down to the bottom of his neck, it was braided like a rope.

"I'll kill you for what you did… Uzumaki… I'll kill you. I'll kill your faceless body when Koh is through with you!" yelled Umbra, the 'eye mouth' speaking.

"Ok… that's nice. So, who is this 'Koh' guy you keep ranting about? Some kind of spirit…?" started Naruto.

"Koh is the oldest spirit in the Spirit World! His power equals some demons! We were brought together and reformed to fulfill his goal." said Nex.

"And his goal is…?"

"To get his first face!" shouted Sepulchrum, his deep voice resonating throughout the underground arena.

"First face?"

"Yes…" hissed Vicis, the right ear, "Many a year ago, Kyuubi and Koh had a duel. At the time, Kyuubi was the Gobi, with only five tails instead of nine. Koh and he were the closest of friends, but… Kyuubi challenged him to a fight one day. To see who was more powerful, one of the nine Tailed Demons, or the most powerful being in all of the Spirit World. Koh was victorious after an entire day of non-stop fighting. Constantly he would ask Kyuubi to withdrawal since he wouldn't wish to harm a friend… But Kyuubi became enraged at one point and decided enough was enough. With a sudden burst of speed, Kyuubi underhandedly grabbed Koh's face… his original face… and tore it from him. He immediately ate it, pleasuring from Koh's suffering! Koh needed a new face, but, no face was like his original. He searched for one face after another, but would always fail to find the perfect one. He thought all was lost… but then, one day, a spy of his tells him that the Kyuubi, now with nine tails, has been sealed into an infant child! The seal specifically designed to link the container's life to his own. If his container died, he too would die. Furthermore, he couldn't influence his container in the least! He was at his weakest… Then, something happens. Dozens of villagers come forth and strike with efficiency thought impossible. A mob forms and they all take turns trying their hardest to slaughter the boy. Kyuubi, in a desperate act to save itself, teleports its container to its original home… here… Despite his efforts, he dies… leaving behind a cursed boy who cannot touch or look at a person without harming them."

"Naruto…" whispered Toph.

The three mouths laugh together in a 'perfect' harmony.

"Now you see why I must do this… The demon still has Koh's face! I'll be granting a gift to the world by killing this monstrosity to nature!" shouted Nex.

Almost everyone present who hadn't been KO'd felt like killing Nex in very painful ways.

Naruto silently pulled up his Hitai-Ate and removed his gloves, pocketing them. Naruto's eyes opened and looked directly at Nex.

"If the sun weren't down right now, I wouldn't even consider doing this." said Naruto.

Everybody took a close look at Naruto's eyes. It was like looking at a red moon with a blue ring and pitch black pupil on it. The pupil itself was slit.

Surprisingly, Nex laughed.

"Fool! That won't work on me! Not only has my body been fused with two spirits that have been exposed to Kyuubi's energy, but, I've also seen those eyes before. During our last encounter!" yelled Umbra.

"But I didn't make contact." said Naruto, grabbing his sword again.

Nex quirked his head to the left, as though confused by his words.

"Oh… did the little bishop go forwards instead of diagonally? Come now! You have no hope against us! We are the kings in this eternal game of chess!" shouted Nex.

"No… there is always hope. You just need to know where to find it." said Naruto before forming a cross shaped seal, "Kagebunshin no jutsu!"

Dozens of Naruto's suddenly filled the arena.

"A few clones won't stop me!" yelled Nex confidently.

"Shihōhappō Shuriken (All Directions Shuriken)!" shouted all the clones before leaping in the air and throwing hundreds of shuriken at Nex.

He somehow formed a grin with the strange, melted mouth.

"That won't stop us!" he shouted back before crouching down and letting the shadows shield him from the attack.

All the clones vanished as did the shuriken. The shadows came down and revealed an unharmed Nex.

"If that was it, then you're doomed. Stop messing around and come out and fight already!" hollered Nex before a kunai whizzed past the right side of his face, slightly cutting his 'ear'.

He screamed and spun only to be met with nothing.

"What's the matter…" said a voice from every direction "Can't fight what you can't see?"

Nex screamed again and brought his arms down in a slashing motion, crushing a part of the stands.

Suddenly, from above, something fell and landed next to Nex's right foot. It was a kunai with a strange tag tied around the ring.

A massive flash blinded him. A smoke bomb was thrown into the arena and detonated.

"I'm blind! I'm blind!" screamed Umbra.

"Oh shut up, you!" yelled Sepulchrum in his dark voice.

"Concentrate on this fight!" screeched Vicis, though… something was off about him.

He wasn't as loud…

Nex was standing still in the center of the smoke-filled area. His 'self conversing' was cut short when a bare hand band contact with the back of his head.

He screamed in pain.

After a few seconds the smoke cleared, revealing Naruto. He stood over Nex. Occasionally, Nex's leg twitched.

'_That was easy…_' thought Naruto as he turned his back and got prepared to put his gloves back on.

A clicking sound caused him to spin around and use his sword to block a clawed kick.

'_Too easy…_'

"Why won't you just die?!" shouted Nex.

"Why won't you?" commented Naruto as he backhanded the right side of Nex's head.

"…Because, I am the ruler of the Shadow, Time, and Gravity Benders! I am the man who discovered the Kyuubi's temples! I am the king of this game of chess!" he yelled.

"No. The king is not the man who rules the people; the king, in my eyes, is the united entity whom _represents_ the people. All are leafs of the same tree. _We_ are the king. _We_ rule nothing. _Everything_ rules us. In the end, King is a meaningless title." said Naruto.

Nex shouted in rage and ran at Naruto who simply spun out of the way, landing a punch on Nex's right ear. Nex fell back and quickly used the momentum to deliver a slash across Naruto's abdomen with his claw-like toenails.

Naruto smirked and did something unexpected… He blew up.

Nex was knocked back but quickly gripped the arena's side, crawling onto it again. A smoldering crater represented where Naruto once was.

"Bunshin Daibakuha, Great Clone Explosion. You like it? I can make one of my clones explode and destroy whatever hit It." said Naruto, falling from the ceiling and landing on his feet in the center of the arena.

Nex howled in anger and used his shadow tendril to throw a large, stray rock at Naruto. Naruto ran forward and jumped on the rock, jumping off of it immediately afterwards. He spun in the air and delivered a high-powered axe kick to Nex's right shoulder, breaking it and making a deafening, cracking sound. Nex attempted to crush Naruto by using his laft hand to swing down in a claw-like motion.

There was a puff of smoke and the boulder that still hadn't hit the ground struck Nex with a surprising amount of force, the fall's strength increasing with the gravity.

Naruto landed swiftly on the other side of the arena.

Nex's right ear was ringing. He couldn't hear Vicis at all.

"Umbra, don't! Think of what he's done! I can't hear Vicis!" shouted Sepulchrum in alarm.

"It doesn't matter! I'll kill him anyway!" shouted back Umbra before Nex, as a whole charged forwards.

Naruto's eyes widened.

He hadn't been this fast before… No… he was this fast before. He was leaving behind after images.

Naruto quickly jumped up to dodge the strikes from the first two and blocked the third before he felt a punch to the gut and a knee to the face.

Nex laughed.

"You can stop a lot of my attacks! But you just can't stop time!" he shouted.

"You're right… I can't stop time. But…" Naruto paused as Nex raised a non-existent eyebrow, "…I can kill it." finished Naruto with a smirk.

Nex's 'eyes' widened before he looked at himself. Parts of him were starting to decay and hardened. The fingers on his left hand started to crumble. Naruto got up.

"What have you done…" said Nex, shocked, "What have you done?!"

"When I found out how your body worked… I was freaked out, at first. But then, I realized that the right side of your head acted as a sort of home for Vicis, your time self. Throughout this little fight, I've dealt small ounces of damage to the right side of your head. The kunai cutting you was a test. I noticed that Vicis wasn't as loud as before so I continued dealing damage to the right side of your head. Using my unique ability of Bending, I was able to increase the power of my strike to increase the sound of my breaking your shoulder to such a point that your right side was eliminated. When you tried to bend time again, you pushed yourself too far. Thus, time… Vicis was killed." explained Naruto.

"Smart… but not smart enough. You think this is the end? You think this is the last time you'll see us? Well Wrong! We'll be back…" Nex's arms shattered and cracks began to spread all over his body.

His melted mouth tore itself open to reveal rows of sharp teeth, the same black substance acting as drool, slightly dissolving the earth in dripped on.

"…Besides… We won't go down without a fight!" shouted Nex as he ran forwards.

His body was turning more and more into dead, fossilized rock with each step. Finally he reached Naruto and jumped forwards, intending to take a bite out of him…

He turned to dust the second his needle-like teeth touched Naruto's left shoulder.

His head fell to the ground…

"I guess… that my time's up…" said Nex before the flesh surrounding his distorted skull melted it all away in the same black ooze.

"No… It's just checkmate." muttered Naruto before he walked back to the group.

He was met with silence.

"Since when did you know that guy?" asked Sokka, first to break the silence.

"It's a long story…" replied Naruto before collapsing to the ground in total exhaustion.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Naruto awoke to something odd…

He briefly pulled up his Hitai-ate and looked outside. He had been asleep for about an hour.

Naruto started to get out of the bed and winced. His gut hurt like hell. He mentally cursed himself for showing such weakness, he'd been through worse.

Then he thought.

He thought of what Nex had said before his defeat…

(_Flashback_)

"…Who was more powerful, one of the nine Tailed Demons, or the most powerful being in all of the Spirit World…"

(_Flashback_)

"…One day, a spy of his tells him that the Kyuubi, now with nine tails, has been sealed into an infant child!"

(_Flashback_)

"Fool! That won't work on me! Not only has my body been fused with two spirits that have been exposed to Kyuubi's energy, but, I've also seen those eyes before…"

(_End Flashback_)

'_So my eyes will or won't work. If I look in somebody's eyes once, they'll become immune to it if they survive. But… who could have told him about the sealing? How does he know this stuff?_' thought Naruto.

He tried to get up and fell out of bed.

Naruto turned his gaze to the sword under his bed and took it out, using it like a cane and 'test walked' for a few seconds before he got the hang of it.

He slid the door to his room open and walked out.

He looked around and walked down the hallway.

He stopped when he heard something…

"…I'm just tired of being sheltered and having no real friends… except Naruto. Please, let me go. I love Earth Bending and I'm really, really good at it. I can defend myself and everything. This might be my only chance to see the outside world." argued Toph to her parents.

Naruto gave a small smile and leaned against the wall.

"Toph, as your parents we love you… but, what I saw last night has convinced us that you must stay here under twenty-four hour guard." said Toph's father, her mother nodding her head in agreement.

Toph, Aang, and the Water siblings looked shocked.

"Guard by who?" asked Naruto.

Everyone present turned their gaze to Naruto who was leaning against a wall.

"Why, you of course!" said Toph's father.

Naruto sighed, "Honestly, after everything that's happened tonight, do you really think she can't defend herself?"

"Well-"

"Then there's the fact that I'm going with her… If you want her under guard so badly, send me with her."

Toph's father seemed to pause in thought.

"I think that it's a wise idea." said Toph's mother to him.

"Very well… Toph, you may go with the Avatar if Naruto accompanies you. Also-" started Toph's father before Naruto swiftly interrupted.

"Toph-sama, please go with the Avatar, I'll be there in a minute."

Toph nodded, "Alright!"

She ran out with a grin on her face, Aang and his friends were quick to follow. Naruto stood there for a second before turning to Toph's parents.

"Were you ever planning on telling her?" asked Naruto.

"Telling her about what?" asked Toph's father, confused.

"…That _incident_ ten years ago."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about." he stuttered.

"How did she get those scars? There's one on her upper back and a few more on her eyelids."

"How do you know about that?"

"I may be color blind, but, I can tell the difference between scar tissue and smooth skin just by looking at it. In the right light, anyone can see the scars on her eyelids. When I was performing first aid on her, I saw the scar on her back. Somebody attacked her ten years ago and gave her those scars. That much, I know. …If you're not going to give me anything else, at least give me the description of who attacked her…"

"He had black hair and an eye tattoo on his forehead." said Toph's mother, "That's what the guards were able to tell us."

"If that's all then I'll-"

"Wait, please… don't tell her." pleaded Toph's father.

"It would break her heart to know that we've… lied to her for so long." said Toph's mother.

"…Alright, but, if the situation arises, I'll tell her. For now, this will be the other condition to my guarding her. No questions asked." said Naruto before he turned and left.

All was silent until Toph's father spoke. Naruto was already too far away to hear.

"We'll send Xin fu and Master Yu after them. I still don't trust him with Toph. Especially with the possibility of him really being a-"

"Don't even consider calling him that. Though I do agree that we should send them for Toph, I refuse to listen to you call Naruto a monster." cut in Toph's mother.

"…Very well."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Naruto quickly ran up to the bison and started to pant. His leg was actually killing him. He wasn't supposed to run. He climbed aboard Appa and sat down in the saddle.

"So… where to now?" asked Naruto.

"Ba Sing Se." replied Toph.

Naruto's eyes widened just as Appa took off.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

That's it for Crazy 8.

Two thirds of this chapter was dedicated to the fight scene between Naruto and Nex. I hope you liked it.

Also, my newest story, Blue Eye, Black Moon, Red Vision, is surprisingly unsuccessful. I need more reviews and more people to look at it. Any suggestions?

Well that's all for now.

Just remember to ask questions,

Review,

Rate,

Comment,

And please enjoy the works or yours truly.

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_


	10. IX: Art

**Just responding to some reviews: **

thsunami: I'm sorry to tell you that all those things you mentioned are most likely not going to occur. This is a mostly Avatar fic. As such, only the Avatar can bend other elements and there can only be one Avatar. Naruto can Air Bend and he can perform a couple of jutsu. If it satisfies you, Fuuinjutsu (Sealing Techniques) still function properly.

Dawning Wisdom: I'm not giving anything out about the man who blinded Toph except for the details I've revealed so far. You'll find out eventually, just not now. As for Kyuubi, he's a demon. Naturally, he was sent to hell for all eternity. I'm not cold-hearted… just realistic… yeah…

Elemental Dragon Swordman: Use the hints I've given so far and try to guess. Like I've already said, what I've given you so far is all I will give you until later.

I really hope that answered your questions.

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Chapter 9: 

Art

"So, Naruto… we know everything about Toph… But…" started Sokka.

"What is there to know about me? Nex already spoiled most of my bigger secrets." said Naruto.

"Ok, we know about the demon being sealed in you and all… So how did it become impossible for you to touch other people?"

"Nex gave you a rough idea of the story. See, I was five years old when a mob formed to 'Kill the Demon'. They came after me and tortured me for hours on end. Kyuubi got the idea to prevent them from being able to touch me anymore and messed with my eyes. I accidentally killed a few of them and Kyuubi sent me here with his statues acting as a conductor and anchor for his power."

Sokka nodded in sympathy and seemed to understand. He was much more…

"What?"

…He was much more of a Baka (Idiot) than Naruto could ever have predicted.

"All right, thousands of years ago there was a group of Air Benders who didn't like their current way of life. They left and went to Kyuubi and tricked him to gain power. Kyuubi changed the very elements that they bent and warped them into three separate categories: the Shadow Benders, the Time Benders, and the Gravity Benders.

"When he found out that they were trying to take over the world with their powers, he punished them and wiped out all the Gravity and Time Benders, sealing their abilities into a pair of spirits. The Shadow Benders were cursed so that their ability to bend shadows would be excessively rare in their family lineage.

"After a while, the other four nations thanked Kyuubi for his assistance and honored him by creating shrines in his honor. Kyuubi assisted with the design of these shrines and they were turned into teleportation devices. They would go straight through the Spirit World and into the Shinobi Countries. Kyuubi had shrines created to remind the Shinobi of his horrifying strength.

"Nex found out about the shrines and banded together with a group of surviving Shadow Benders to find them all. When he saw my Hitai-ate," Naruto gestured to his plated blind fold, "He recognized the symbol of one of the Shinobi Villages. We fought, I killed him. Or so I thought. Apparently, this spirit named Koh wanted Nex's abilities under his control and somehow fused the other two spirits with him.

"But, I digress. You wanted the simple answer, right? Well, long story short, I was in danger and Kyuubi found a way to protect me. He used the shrines here and his ungodly amount of power to rocket me through the spirit world and into this world."

Now Sokka understood.

"So wait, that means that you aren't even from this world? Right?" asked Aang.

"Hai," Naruto said with a nod, "Also, because of my deep connections with Kyuubi, I also am extremely in tune with the Spirit World. If I'm near somewhere excessively spiritual, there was a possibility that I'd be dragged into the Spirit World forever. Luckily, I had a good pair of friends who helped me with that problem."

"You never told me that you had friends before you knew Me." said Toph with a slight scowl.

"You never asked."

"Well, now I _am_ asking. Who were they?"

"I knew only two other people and I referred to them as family. There was Isaribi, a Water Bender unlike any other. And there was Deidara, an equally different Earth Bender."

"Tell us about the Water Bender." said Sokka and Katara at the same time.

"Tell us about the Earth Bender." said Toph and Aang in equal unison.

"Well, I'm impartial and neutral in this whole thing. But, since it's two on two, we need a deciding vote. So…" started Naruto only to be caught off when Momo, the Lemur, flew around and landed on Aang's shoulder.

"Well, there's our vote!" said Naruto.

Sokka and Katara looked outraged.

"He's a Lemur!" Sokka shouted.

"Gomen na sai (I apologize), but, he has just as much right to vote as you two do. We'll be talking about Deidara today." said Naruto.

Sokka and Katara groaned while Toph and Aang cheered.

"Alright, now… where to start… Well, Deidara was nine when I first met him. He had upsides and downsides. I suppose that one of his upsides was his unique form of Earth Bending that earned him the nickname: 'The Artist'…"

(_Flashback_)

"So now what, Dei-chan?" asked Isaribi mockingly.

"I'm going to fly over and take a bird's eye view." he shrugged.

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

Deidara smirked and took some clay before allowing his hands to devour it.

His hands spat out a pair of white, clay statues of birds that began to fly around.

"As cool as that is, I think you'll need a lot more birds to pick you up from the ground." said Isaribi with her hands on her hips.

Naruto just sighed and continued skipping stones like he had been throughout the whole conversation when he realized something… There was no splash.

He tilted his head in confusion and realized that Deidara was Earth Bending some rocks onto one of his birds.

Eventually, one of the birds was about the same size as a pair of horses, the other remained the same size.

"The small one will act as a tiny scout while I'll fly on the big one!" said Deidara.

Isaribi gaped.

(_End Flashback_)

"…The statues he could make were amazing. He could fly with Earth Bending. Hell… he could make his statues explode. It was like there was no limit to them. Insects, birds, sometimes fish… He used his artistic talents to such a degree, that there isn't a person alive who could copy him. But sometimes, I worried about him…"

(_Flashback_)

"Naruto, I need to speak with you." said Deidara.

"Nani (What)?" asked Naruto.

"I have a great plan-"

"How much collateral damage?"

"Huh?"

"Collateral damage… from you setting fires and blowing stuff up."

"Ano (Um)… Err…"

"You were planning on blowing up the entire village, weren't you?"

"They would be more than honored to become part of my art."

"…Sick fucking pyro."

(_End Flashback_)

"…The things he'd say were kind of weird. He enjoyed explosions and stuff. He just couldn't last a month without blowing something up. It was unsettling when I had to smack him in the back of the head to get him to stop worshipping a small group of Fire Benders because they had just burned down a forest in less than ten minutes…"

(_Flashback_)

"Deidara! Stop worshipping the enemy!"

(_End Flashback_)

"…He was loyal. He'd never betray us, no matter what. He was also defensive. If anyone insulted his explosions then he'd blow a gasket and send them to the stars on an unstable bunch of fireworks. He was also defensive of his looks. He appeared very feminine and because of his long hair, people would constantly mistake him for a girl…"

(_Flashback_)

"Miss, your so called art just destroyed my precious cabbages! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Deidara turned and looked at him with his uncovered eye twitching.

"First of all, I'm a guy. Secondly," Deidara looked at the smoldering crater that was once a cabbage stand, "That stand looks much better now. It's a work of art! And third… you're about to join that F-ing stand!"

Deidara screamed out a list of incoherent Japanese cures words while Isaribi held him back.

Naruto stood nest to the shop keeper.

"What's your blond friend saying?" he asked.

Naruto meanwhile blushed at a particular comment.

"You don't want to know…"

(_End Flashback_)

"…More than once, Isaribi and I had to intervene to prevent Deidara from doing something drastic. It got pretty funny sometimes." said Naruto with a slight chuckle.

Toph looked shocked and almost gasped, not that anybody turned and saw or heard. Never in her life had she heard Naruto laugh without a care in the world like that.

The occasional snicker, sometimes a laugh… But, never before had his laughs held sincere mirth and not the underlining tone of forcing it.

It was in that moment that Toph realized that Naruto truly did care about these two people.

'…_What could have happened to them?_' she idly thought.

"How are you able to stay in this world without being dragged into the Spirit World?" asked Aang.

"Well, that's a simple question with a complex answer. See, there are dozens of different shinobi arts. However, one of the few that work here is Fuuinjutsu, Sealing Techniques." responded Naruto.

"Sealing?"

"Hai. Sealing is an excessively rare and dangerous shinobi art in capable hands. Deidara, while he considered his clay the greatest art ever, was not ignorant about other people's art. Fuuinjutsu is an amazing art and is one of the arts that he practiced with constantly. See, about twenty or thirty years ago there was a war in the Shinobi Countries. Our leader was able to decimate all of the enemy's forces in less than a second with a single Fuuinjutsu. Deidara, rather than feeling vengeful like his elders told him to be, actually was _inspired_. He saw pictures of the gore and thought that the mountains were the canvas, the soldier's blood was the paint, and the painter stood in the center with a three-pointed kunai. He knew it was art when that man died because it would never happen again."

"That's a cool story and all, but… what's that got to do with you?"

"I have two seals on my body. One contains the power of the Kyuubi for emergencies only and is located on my abdomen area. The other seal is located along my spine and prevents the Spirit World from dragging me in. Nex just didn't know about the seal on my back, I think, so I'd be safe if he even captured me. However, if my back was injured, then I'd be at his mercy and it wouldn't be much trouble for him to drag me into the Spirit World." explained Naruto, "Anything else you want to know about Deidara?"

"What did he look like?" asked Katara.

"He had long, blonde hair that covered up one of his eyes. His skin was a sort of pail-tan. His eyes were blue… I think."

"What do you mean 'I think'?" asked Sokka.

"Colorblind. I'm just going by what other people have said when it comes to appearance."

"…Oh…"

Naruto just sighed.

"Well, I'm going to take a nap, wake me up when we land." said Naruto before lying down.

A few minutes passed and the four other passengers looked between each other.

"Do you think he's really asleep?" asked Sokka.

"I don't know. I'd normally be able to tell if somebody's napping or not, but, I just can't tell with Naruto for some reason." said Toph.

"Let's find out." suggested Aang as the group seemed to lean in towards him.

"I really don't think that's a good idea…" said Katara only to be ignored by the rest of the group.

They were inches from Naruto's face when suddenly…

He started to snore.

"Yep, he's asleep."

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

End of chapter 9

Mostly, it was a filler chapter. The Avatar gang gets a little insight of who one of Naruto's former friends were and mystery is added to it with a Water Bender. For them… not you…

I'm not expecting questions, but, they are totally welcome.

Also, I'm pleased to announce that 'Hunter 80: Demon of the Flower Moon' is currently on Fanfiction.

I would really appreciate it if you could at least take a look at it and review it or maybe add it to your C2 if you have one? It's a crossover…

Well, that's all I've got to say so Good bye everybody!

_**Forever Signed in Blood, **_

_**Slayer End**_


End file.
